Best Served Cold
by jaganshing
Summary: For once, life has granted Shadow the reason to be happy but what happens when he was assigned to team up with a Criminal Investigation group to find a murderer on the lose? Would that case be the beginning of a new tragedy waiting ahead? [Shadow/Rouge & Sonic/Amy]
1. The Ten Minute Game

**Best Served Cold **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, SEGA does. This fanfiction is made as a request from a friend. I still had other pending stories but I'll update them as soon as I can. This is my first time writing a story related to the Sonic Universe. Hope you like it. Rated M for scenes not suitable for young readers.**

Dawn sets in as the sun emerges to emit its glowing light all over Mobius.

A small ray of light pierced in into the darkness of a dark room with sky colored walls. Inside the room stood a queen sized bed where two unknown figures laid fast asleep, their faces obscured by the shadows cast by dark curtains that hung lazily over a paneled window.

Then a sound of a mobile phone vibrating reverberated around the room, disturbing the peaceful silence that once inhabit it.

Repelled by the bothersome noise, an ebony furred hedgehog with red streaks on his quills rose from the covers and immediately snatched the phone from its post without bothering who the mysterious caller was.

"Yeah, what is it?" he gruffly answered while rubbing his forehead with the heel of his hand, his eyes remained close, partially waking up from a dream state.

"Agent Shadow, this is the commander" upon knowing it was the commander on the other line, his eyes shot wide as he pushed his irritations aside for being awakened in the middle of his peaceful slumber.

"My apologies. Yes, commander?" he responded in vigilance

"It would be rude of me to tell you to cancel your plans for this day if there are any. Apparently, an agent that was assigned to attend a certain investigation became a casualty of a friendly fire on a previous case and is currently ongoing recovery as we speak. Given your record as one of our top ranking agents, I couldn't find anyone more capable than you to handle this case. Would there be any objections?" the commander continued.

Seeing it as a direct order, he dared not protest despite the fact that it was a weekend and it's supposed to be his day off from work.

"None, sir" he responded in his usual deep voice

"Good. I expect you to be here in G.U.N. HQ as soon as you can"

He just shrugged and immediately responded "Understood" before hanging up.

'Tower…' his mind couldn't help but flash some angry thoughts towards the said commander as he rested his face on his hand.

Abraham Tower, GUN's top-ranking officer. The hedgehog had always known how much the commander loathed his existence, how the commander has often showed little concern towards his well-being due to the fact that he had blamed the hedgehog for the loss of everything that mattered to him.

It was dated years ago when a world-renowned scientist named Gerald Robotnik led a medical project that had successfully created an artificial lifeform with the help of an alien DNA. The DNA gave the hedgehog exceptional abilities such as rapid cell regeneration, immortality and the ability to control the power of chaos. The created lifeform was then named Shadow the hedgehog, the ultimate lifeform, a being immune to any type of illnesses created for one purpose alone, to cure the incurable disease of the professor's granddaughter.

However, the project was later on shut down and everything related to it was destroyed, including all of the people that worked under it. The commander had witnessed it all and was devastated by it. Since that incident, he had despised the hedgehog with all his heart.

However, due to Shadow being a weapon specialist, sharp-witted with a strong sense of purpose, often willing to accomplish his goals by any means necessary, the commander tends to disregard his own personal feelings to make use of the hedgehog's assets.

For the commander, Shadow was just a living weapon created to destroy mankind, a threat to the world. But for Shadow, he used to be more than that, he had a life before that. He had a family, he had a friend, he had Maria, the granddaughter of the professor that created him, his best friend and his sister-figure.

Then life decided to turn against him. It was ironic that Maria, the only person he had cared for, was killed by one of those guns he's known to be skilled for, or was it just life intending to punish him for being created as something ultimate, something too powerful for the world to accept?

He kept telling himself, it wasn't his choice to exist in a world that wouldn't accept him. In fact, no one is to be blamed for existing.

'If the world didn't want me to exist, neither could the world' a twisted mentality grew inside him.

Then he was sealed, for fifty years he waited for the time to come. Then that time finally came. From the moment he was awakened from stasis, he knew right then and there that he was just a mere weapon incapable of feelings created to destroy and seek vengeance for the world that didn't want him.

Yet that was later on changed when he understood the true intention of the Professor when he was created. He wasn't a weapon in the professor's eyes for he was given a soul to do what is right for the greater good and Maria's wish had helped him realize that.

Now he's currently working for GUN as a special agent to continue his mission to protect humanity from harm.

He sighed deeply as he recalled the past that still occasionally plagues his mind despite claiming that he had already put everything behind him. He lazily dropped his head on the pillow once again, closing his eyes for a bit, inviting tranquility to take over his mind for a few minutes before facing reality once again.

He then felt something stirred on the other side of the bed.

"Shadow?" a feminine voice spoke softly.

"Sorry Rouge, did I wake you?" he titled his head to his side. His crimson eyes met an ivory furred bat with beautiful teal eyes staring at him lovingly. Her once short locks had grown longer and cascaded like a waterfall on her shoulders. His eyes couldn't help but stare at her delicate form outlining the sheets that wrapped around her.

Rouge the bat, his G.U.N. partner, the closest thing he could call a friend since the death of Maria.

For all the years he had spent with his partner, odd feelings stirred inside him. Butterflies swarmed within him whenever their eyes meet, her playful teasing became an amusement, just being close to her induced peculiar reactions from his body. His heart races, his breathing intensifies, his mind starts to cloud him with various thoughts on how to relieve such tensions. He thought she was going to be the death of him, he was happily wrong.

He was hesitant at first, pushing those feelings away, avoiding it as much as he could then he decided to break that wall and before he knew it, he had welcomed that new feeling in his life. A feeling he never understood and yet abided by it.

And to his surprise, she had felt the same way.

It wasn't too long when the two became honest with their feelings and next thing they knew, they've tied the knot. He never imagined he would be waking up every single day on the same bed with her. They have been married for almost a year now and been living in complete marital bliss, although he may not openly admit it.

"No, I was just wondering why you're up so early. Is the commander making you feel miserable again?" she spoke, one hand reaching out towards his cheeks, tracing it with her fingertips.

"I would be lying if I said no" he calmly replied, pushing some of her white locks away from concealing her face, a sight he grew fond of looking at every now and then.

'Beautiful' his thoughts spoke.

His crimson eyes just stared in awe at her teal ones as though the world didn't matter. It felt as though time has stopped temporarily and they're the only ones unaffected by it. Time slows down when you meet that special someone as most would say. He had felt those numerous times whenever those beautiful eyes find their way into his'.

At the very present, he had been making most of this brief moment that he had wanted to last. Being with her had often stirred warm feelings within him that he couldn't state in words, and those feelings had somehow made a huge difference in his whole existence. It gave him a reason to be happy and smile once again, a gesture he never knew he's capable of.

Caught in a daze of his little day dream for too long had forced reality to kick into his senses.

"The commander wanted me to fill in for a certain investigation today" he spoke, breaking the silence between them.

Rouge frowned a bit at his statement "What? Oh, screw Abe! Today is supposed to be our rest day!"

"I know" he sighed deeply "But an order is an order"

"Can't you stay for a little bit longer?"

"Sorry, as much as I hate to leave, the commander expects me to be there as soon as I can. I better get ready" he attempted to rise but was immediately dragged back down by Rouge.

"R-Rouge, what are you doing?" his eyes widened when she effortlessly straddled him.

The feel of her warmth pressing against him gave his muzzle a rosy tint.

"Just stay for a few minutes, please" she pleaded, running a hand on his chest fur.

Shadow's eyebrow rose, her schemes weren't a stranger to him anymore. He admits she's practically skilled in using her feminine wiles to get what she wants judging from the way she used to deceive a certain red echidna to obtain the master emerald he guards.

But not with him, she had to try harder.

"Rouge, I'm serious. Get off" he warned but got himself a little distracted when his eyes feasted on the lovely view of his better-half straddling him with both her legs on his sides wearing her laced pink nightgown that beautifully clung to her body, revealing her majestic feminine curves.

He swallowed hard then he quickly shook his head to block the image from his mind before his male instincts start betraying him and focused on her eyes instead.

Rouge noticed his inner struggle and decided to take advantage of the situation

"You like what you see, handsome? Or would you rather…" she pulled one of her nightgown's strap lower "…take this thing off of me for a much better view?"

A part of him partially snapped, he suddenly felt an urge to reach out and rip her nightgown into shreds, it was his carnal urges trying to get the better of him.

He never quite understood how she's somehow able to manipulate him in subtle ways. There he was, caught in an awful dilemma of attending his wife's _needs_ or obeying the order of the commander.

He took a deep breath and finally, he had his sense of control back once again. He decided to choose the latter instead to avoid being on the receiving end of the commander's rage for being late.

"Right now, I would appreciate it if you let me get ready for work" he curtly replied "I mean it"

Yet she paid no heed, instead, she reached down and planted a kiss under his muzzle, her warm breath gently caressing his skin.

Shadow gritted his teeth and shivered at the brief contact of her soft lips coupled with her hips that seems to be unconsciously grinding against him whenever he struggled. The friction isn't doing him good.

'Damn' he thought, trying to keep himself together while one hand clutched firmly at the sheets 'She's making this harder than I thought'

He couldn't believe himself for allowing his wife to torment him with such tactics. He is the Ultimate lifeform and he shouldn't be ridiculed in such a way. He could've just pushed her aside and get on with his morning rituals but a part of him seems to enjoy playing her little game. Somehow, he begins to wonder what else she has done to make him act in such a way.

"Rouge, I'll be late if you don't get off this instant" he hissed, trying to resist her.

"I just want a few minutes of your time. Was that too much to ask, Mr. Ultimate Lifeform?" she pouted, feigning disappointment.

Unable to bear her teasing any longer, he decided to play along, a smile dangled on the corner of his thin lips.

'You asked for it'

Rouge gasped in surprise when Shadow pushed her to the side and rolled on top of her, pinning her with the weight of his gaze.

"Alright, ten minutes" were his only words before reaching down towards her soft, warm lips. Licking it gently, then nibbling at her lower lip, begging for entrance.

He felt her froze on her spot as though wondering how he had assumed control all of a sudden and he took it as a good sign to counterattack her schemes.

After a few attempts of teasing, she finally gave in and fervently welcomed his soft eager tongue. Both engaged in a passionate lip lock that fought for dominance. He savored the taste of her lips, taking it all for himself, then he figured, he's the luckiest hedgehog alive to be able to taste such a wonderful delicacy.

Her tongue fought desperately against his' yet he dared not allow her to win. Although he may not admit it, the thought of her helplessly squirming underneath him had always been one of his guilty pleasures.

He felt her pulling him closer, deepening the kiss while his fumbling hands struggled to slip underneath her nightgown seeking the warmth of her bare tanned skin. She shuddered in response upon feeling his hand delicately fondling her breasts as though admiring its rounded contour and softness.

A stifled moan escaped from her while his mouth continued to explore hers. His half-lidded eyes saw her flustered face and with that, he knew he had her under his spell.

Rouge broke the kiss and smiled seductively at the hedgehog hovering above her "I think ten minutes isn't enough, hon"

"I beg to differ" the sound of his dangerously calm voice left her dazed. He then lowered his eyelids, a smirk forming on his lips. That simple gesture alone made her bite her lower lip in eagerness, her muzzle blushing brighter than before. He took that sight as an invitation to continue with his sweet torture and once again crashed his mouth into hers.

His hand slid lower, traveling from her waist down towards her thighs and gently sliding in to stroke at her inner thighs, skimming over its sensitive skin. She softly moaned at the feel of his hand moving teasingly slow towards her most sensitive spot.

'That's it bat girl, submit to me' his thoughts spoke, he knew sooner or later she would be putty in his hands.

Her anticipation grew when she felt his hand getting closer into reaching its goal, she had silently ached for his touch as her mind gone crazy thinking what he would do next.

To her disappointment, he stopped just as his hands were only a centimeter away from her heated core and then broke the kiss that left them both gasping for air.

Seeing her still too vulnerable for words underneath him, he took it as an advantage and began assaulting her neck, taking in her scent before lightly brushing his lips in it then slowly moving south.

Her breathing intensified feeling his hot mouth trailing fiery kisses down her stomach then he tilted his head to the side, pulling her silk underwear a bit with his teeth. He could smell her heightened arousal filling the air and it's starting to cloud his mind as well. His inner urges raked through his control yet he did his best not fall prey into it.

"S-Shadow…" she breathed his name as though begging him to continue, a warm feeling is starting to build up especially in her sensitive spots.

On their first night together, she could still recall how innocent the hedgehog was towards her advances. How a kiss and a touch could send him blushing like crazy. Yet the more time passes by, that once innocent hedgehog is no longer as innocent as he was. She began to wonder how the tables have turned, how she was the one melting with his touch, how he was able to make her submit to him. She then realized her mistake on unleashing the beast within him.

'He's becoming good at this…it's not like I'm complaining or anything but…' her trail of thought was then interrupted when she felt his teeth grazed the flesh of her inner thighs.

"Ah!" she yelped at the sudden sharp pain "Shadow!" she scolded

"Check mate…" he muttered to himself, chuckling at the reaction he elicited. His warm breath caressing her sensitive skin didn't show mercy for her body has grown more sensitive against his touches yet the white bat stubbornly did her best to bite back a moan.

'Did he just…I'll get him for this' she frowned at thought

He once again landed his lips on hers then he gazed at her form giving her one of his signature grins while adoring the sultry look on her eyes as she fought against his constant teasing, her face becoming redder than the red streaks on his quills. He chuckled at the sight, knowing that he's holding all the cards now.

"I want you…" he whispered in her ear, his deep voice sending sharp signals all over her body as his hand gently reached down at the hem of her silk garment, slowly pushing it up.

"But your ten minutes are up…" he gave her one last passionate kiss before he rolled off of her.

Rouge was left befuddled when the warm feeling abruptly disappeared along with Shadow. She just laid there and pressed a hand against her forehead, trying to make sense of the current situation.

Shadow took that as an opportunity to gather his clothes and his chaos emerald while Rouge is still in a shocked state before disappearing after muttering 'chaos control'.

Realizing moments later what he did, she felt her pride getting crushed into tiny little pieces.

'Oh no, he didn't…' her mind denied the fact that he just left her in the air.

"Shadow the hedgehog!" she yelled on top of her lungs. Knowing that he usually drinks his morning coffee before heading to G.U.N., she wore her robe and angrily went downstairs just to see him leaning against the kitchen counter with a mug in his hand. He's already wearing his brown leather jacket, the red scarf she gave him, dark colored pants and a red belt with his gun on its holster, an article of clothing he wears as his G.U.N. uniform.

"Three, two, one…" he chanted

"What the hell was that for?!" her face burning up with anger, attempting to punch him but he easily dodged her attack with one arm

He flashed her a victorious smirk before concealing it with a sip from his mug

"I just gave you a 'few minutes of my time'" a hint of amusement could be hinted in his voice. "You're lucky I'm feeling generous today"

Rouge brows furrowed upon hearing his statement, realizing that he just won in their little game.

"Well, you didn't have to leave me like that, you big tease!" she flared, disappointment filled her voice

"Me? A Tease? I only finished what you started" he said in a matter-of-fact tone, concealing his amusement.

"Just shut it, you ultimate jerk!" she crossed her arms, bucking her hips at the side.

Shadow couldn't help but grin at his frustrated wife

"The name-calling suggests that you're disappointed at something" he placed the mug on the counter and crossed his arms. "Well then, I guess I gave you something to think about until the end of my shift"

Seeing her in such a defeated state amused him for a reason he couldn't comprehend.

She bit her lip and avoided his gaze.

He noticed her deep in thought and could only conclude that she was recalling the incident.

"Yeah, I figured" he chuckled at the sight

"It's not fair, you're not supposed to go to work today!" she snapped at him in frustration

"Duty calls" was his calm response, bypassing her agitation

Seeing that he made a point in their little argument, she just sighed in defeat

"Fine, whatever. With you, it's always work, work, work…" she walked towards the fridge to get something but was halted when she felt her head started to spin all of a sudden.

Shadow noticed her peculiar behavior and began to wonder

"Rouge?" he called out

Just then, her legs gave away and was about to collapse but he immediately ran to her side, breaking her fall.

"Hey, are you alright?" he gently shook her, his voice filled with trepidation

"It's nothing, maybe I'm just exhausted from doing all of the paperwork on our last assignment" she said wearily, resting her head on Shadow's chest.

Seeing her in such a state made his blood boil towards the commander once again.

'He's gone too far treating his agents like this'

"You've been pushing yourself too hard for the past few weeks. I'm telling the commander to—"he was cut-off when she placed a finger on his lips.

"No, I'll be fine" she smiled and winked at him as she tried to stand on her own but was surprised when Shadow lifted her up and carried her towards the sofa.

"I'm not buying it this time. A few weeks ago you said the same thing and you fainted in the middle of an assignment" he recalled, laying her down on the couch. "You're not going to trick me with those words again"

"Oh Shadow, you know I can handle this, I'm a big girl" she chuckled, trying her best make light of the situation yet the hedgehog never showed a hint of amusement. He just stared at her with a blank expression on his face yet she could see a hint of apprehension within his intimidating crimson eyes.

"Nevertheless, exhausting yourself over some damn paperwork is plain foolish" he felt his temper starting to rise.

But the expression she's showing him is far from what he's expecting.

"I know my limits, Shad" she said in a reassuring smile

"And that's one of the reasons why I should always keep my eye on you. You tend to go beyond it" his eyes staring daggers at her but all he got was an amused look from her, unable to grasp his point in a serious matter.

"So do you" she raised an eyebrow, her teal eyes stared directly at his crimson ones.

Her statement struck him that left him craving for words. Their bickering soon ceased realizing that the differences that they pointed out is something that they have in common all along.

"Just…don't overdo it" he was the first to break the awkward silence, his voice returning to its calm state with a bit of uneasiness in it. Still not accustomed to verbalizing his feelings and concern to others, a trait he rarely shows unless the situation calls for it.

He felt something gnawing at his chest, a familiar feeling that he had forgotten a long time ago.

Fear began to sneak in like a thief into his mind, the fear of losing someone he cared for. The fear that had left him compromised for so many times. He never thought it would show itself once again, and the thought alone is beginning to cripple him.

Realizing her mistake for not taking the matter seriously made her feel guilty. She had known Shadow for years and seeing him once again in such a state sends an ache through her chest.

"Shadow" she called out to him, pulling his face towards her with both hands, leaving a space a size of an inch "I'm sorry. It's just…I don't want to burden you with my problems" she leaned a bit closer to meet his trembling lips and he returned her kiss with no hesitation then he rested his forehead on hers, closing his eyes, feeling the world disappear around them once again.

"Your burdens are my burdens, Rouge, don't hesitate to share them with me"

Rouge was left speechless at Shadow's words, she just cherished that simple moment knowing he would leave for work soon.

"Maybe you should get your health checked just to be sure" he whispered, his hand firmly grasping at hers while the other stroked her cheek "Please…"

Rouge opened her teal eyes to meet ruby ones filled with concern. It's one of those rare moments where he allows his vulnerable state to surface, a side of him that she had always loved to see.

With a reassuring smile, she spoke "Yeah, I guess I should"

* * *

**Author's notes**

**Jaganshing: First chapter finished. How was it? :3 Since this is written as a request and I'm still new to the fandom, I apologize if they may act OOC but I'll do my best to remedy it (let me know if I went too far, just in case ^_^) There will be more chapters coming so stay tuned. **

**(BTW, I'm still going to update my other stories ^_^)**


	2. The Dark Hero Rides

**Best Served Cold **

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, SEGA does. This fanfiction is made as a request from a friend. I still had other pending stories but I'll update them as soon as I can. This is my first time writing a story related to the Sonic Universe. Hope you like it. Rated M for scenes not suitable for young readers. **

Shadow sped towards the streets of Central City in his dark and red motorcycle with a Black Arms insignia etched in its fuel tank.

The Dark Rider, as he would call it, maintaining it and upgrading it as though it was one of his prized possessions.

He felt the rush of adrenaline pumping through his bloodstream as he accelerated at full speed. The sound of the thrumming engine felt like a lullaby in his ears, the cold wind whipping against his face felt soothing as his red scarf flew behind him, dancing along with the wind.

He felt as if he's gliding with the wind, immersed in it in total harmony.

Despite being able to teleport with ease using his chaos emerald, he prefers to travel using his bike where he's given a freedom to be alone with his thoughts.

While his eyes remained focused on the road, his mind wandered to Rouge, wondering if her condition had improved.

'_I'll be fine'_

'_I can handle this' _

Her reassuring words echoed in his ears. She may have a reputation of being good in keeping things but he knew her well enough to see beyond her lies for he had heard those sweet cunning words for so many times for him to fall for it easily.

'Rouge, you're a terrible liar' he tightly gripped the handlebars as he recalled her attempts of concealing something from him. Yet again, he knew she only did it so he could focus on his assignment which made him feel terrible inside leaving her in such condition.

Then his brows furrowed as he was reminded of the reason why he had to leave in such short notice.

'_Filling in for a casualty of a friendly fire, huh? This better be worth my time.' _

As a top ranking agent working for the government, the commander had often assigned him difficult tasks, tasks that most agents are unable to accomplish, tasks that are mostly a direct order from the president himself. Rouge was often assigned to work in such difficult assignments too being also one of the top ranking agents working under GUN before he came along.

Most of the time they're assigned to work together as a pair, this time, he was alone for some reason. He knew deep down that the commander had something else under his sleeve besides simply assigning him as a proxy for a fallen agent.

For all the years serving for G.U.N., the feeling of having an assignment every now and then didn't excite him as much as before. Shadow once felt that he was married with the force until he started to gradually lose interest for two reasons: the thought of putting his and Rouge's life in constant danger and that he had seen the true colors of the world with his own eyes.

Besides tracking down and stopping Dr. Eggman and his diabolical schemes from wreaking havoc on the world, he had witnessed several crimes much worse than the doctor's deeds. Murder, theft, fraud, drug abuse, rape, terrorism, the list goes on and on.

Shadow took a moment to breathe in some fresh air, consciously removing all those uninvited images that haunted his mind all of a sudden. There's no doubt that the crime rate has drastically increased over the past few years and he found no reason not to be repulsed with what the peaceful world he knew has turned into, the world he had vowed to protect.

What drove such crimes to surface led him to one conclusion: When someone is driven by desire, boundaries are crossed to fulfill it, even if means destroying themselves in the process.

He made a sharp turn to the left, bypassing more trees and buildings along the way until his eyes met a familiar street, the same street where he and Rouge went out to have a night stroll after a stressful mission from GUN.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_"Finally, free from GUN" Rouge breathed a sigh of relief, stretching her arms and wings._

_"Heh, better make the most of it before the commander starts calling again" Shadow replied, staring at the peaceful sky as they walked._

"_Shadow, don't jinx it" she gave him a playful slap on the shoulder as she laughed_

_All of a sudden, a group of male mobians blocked their way. One of them was an ebony bear, the other one was a green toad and the last one was an auburn lizard. All of them have bloodshot eyes with breath reeking the scent of a strong alcoholic drink._

"_Whoa, hey there angel face, I won't mind taking a bite of you. Why don't you ditch this loser here and come with us?" said the bear, his golden eyes stared at the white bat from head to toe as though admiring her form._

_Rouge was about to spat back when Shadow instinctively stood in front of her without saying a word, his crimson eyes flashed a glare, letting them know it's unwise to lay a finger on any of them._

"_Move aside, sewer rat! We're talking to the lady" said the bear, glaring back at the hedgehog_

"_Let me handle this" the toad interrupted, lighting a cigarette and blowing some smoke on the hedgehog's face._

"_Fuck off, you filthy pest!" said the toad, attempting to intimidate him._

_But the hedgehog didn't show any hints of intimidation which surprised him "You're a persistent little rodent. Anybody got some cheese to lure this rat away?"_

"_Let's just beat the shit out of him, fuck his whore and make a run for it" the lizard's tongue flickered as the three nodded in agreement and chorused in laughter._

_With those words, Shadow felt his world grow dim. He never really cared being called a rat, but the term they used to insult Rouge's character touched a raw nerve in him._

_The laughter of the three mobians soon ended when Shadow swiftly gave the lizard a strong kick in the face, sending him a few feet away from where he stood and without hesitation, the hedgehog quickly pulled out his Beretta 92 and pointed it at the remaining two._

"_Oh shit, he's got gun!" yelled the bear, backing out in fright_

"_Walk away" Shadow didn't raise his voice like he usually would, instead, he just spoke calmly and faced them with threatening eyes._

_The two slowly backed away as Shadow walked closer_

"_The fucking rat's going to kill us!" added the toad as he frantically helped the lizard stand on his feet_

_The three mobians soon ran away without turning back._

* * *

Shadow felt disgusted at the thought of almost getting harassed by mobians under the influence of alcohol.

'Those bastards only backed away because I resorted to force.' his eyes briefly stared at the gun resting on his belt's holster before focusing on the road once again.

Nowadays, if you don't wield a weapon, you're a perfect bait for lurking predators. Some believe that there are only two types of people in the world: The predator and the prey. If you don't want to become a prey, you must learn how to become a predator.

But Shadow had a different mindset. For him, there are three. A predator, a prey, and a scavenger. The predator hunts for its prey, the prey either runs or fights for his/her life, and after that decisive battle, the scavenger waits in the darkness until it's safe to feed from the remains.

None can be trusted, but all can be tamed.

With such mindset, he learned how to survive from the wretched world by learning how to tame the beasts within people that not everyone knew about.

Seeing that he's close to his destination, he slowed down and pulled over to a stop when he reached a huge building that's well-known all over Central City, G.U.N. Headquarters. He parked his motorcycle on a designated parking space just adjacent to the building of the headquarters, nudging down the kickstand and finally getting off his bike.

With quick steps, he entered the automated doors of the building and was briefly halted by a security personnel.

"Good morning, Agent Shadow" said the security personnel in a salute

"Good morning. At ease" was all he said as he marched forward, walking past through several rooms and corridors, ignoring most of the personnel as his eyes remained focus on his destination: the briefing room. It was a standard procedure that all GUN agents must go straight to the said room whenever the commander calls for their presence.

A group of GUN soldiers noticed his presence and stopped to acknowledge the hedgehog in a salute.

"Good day, Agent Shadow" they chorused

As much as Shadow didn't want to waste another minute being halted by a couple of soldiers along his way, he stopped on his tracks and returned the salute just to show some respect.

"At ease" he responded as he walked on.

Being a high ranking agent in the organization, the personnel had always acknowledged his presence that somehow made him feel respected and annoyed at the same time from all of the unwanted attention he often receives.

'_Tch. I've had enough with such formalities….'_

Finally, he stopped in front of a door with a huge GUN emblem and knocked on it three times.

"This is Agent Shadow the Hedgehog. Permission to enter, sir" he spoke

"Granted" the voice spoke behind the doors.

Shadow opened the door and was greeted by a tall, stern-looking man with ash colored hair and multicolored eyes. The man stood in a well-disciplined stance with his hands folded behind him. He wore a grey uniform with a sash draped with yellow, red and blue ribbons. From his article of clothing, it is no doubt that the man is a high-ranking officer.

"Good morning, Commander" Shadow spoke, saluting, his face devoid of emotions.

The commander narrowed his eyes as they met the hedgehog's gaze.

"Agent Shadow"

* * *

Rouge sat in the living room with her hand firmly grasping her pink mobile phone. A couple of thoughts plagued her mind after she made an appointment at the Central City Hospital.

'I hope it's nothing serious' she thought, resting her forehead on the palm of her hand, her eyes fighting back to hold her tears.

She didn't want him to know.

If she didn't faint on one of their assignments and if she didn't lose her balance just an hour ago before he left, he never would have known. For the past few weeks, she felt as if her body isn't in synch with her mind anymore. She had been experiencing throbbing headaches, easy fatigability, sleepless nights, and most of all, her heart had been skipping a beat for no reason.

The time she fainted during an assignment had affected her the most and recalling the incident only made her feel like she's nothing but a heavy load that Shadow needs to carry every now and then.

She had vowed to herself that she will not be a burden to him, she wanted him to be happy and live the life he never had, with her by his side.

She stared at her phone for a while then dialed a number of someone she knew who wouldn't mind regardless of what time she called, someone she had trusted her whole life.

She needed someone to talk to, she needed someone to ease her troubled mind.

* * *

**Author's notes:**

**Jaganshing: Chapter 2 done. Sorry it took so long. My friend who requested this got a little busy so I waited until we got in touch. Shadow's motorcycle ride was a last minute decision to include because he was supposed to have used the chaos control but we decided to make him ride his bike instead. Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews and those who have followed the story ^^ It means so much. More chapters coming up. Stay tuned.**

**Song inspiration: Blurry by Puddle of Mudd**_(Shadow's motorcycle ride)_


	3. Piercing the Vest of Secrecy

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, SEGA does. This fanfiction is made as a request from a friend. I still had other pending stories but I'll update them as soon as I can. This is my first time writing a story related to the Sonic Universe. Hope you like it. Rated M for scenes not suitable for young readers. **

Rouge paced around the living room as she held her phone up to her ear. Her eyes wandered around as her palms began to sweat while her heart raced like there's no tomorrow. Feeling anxiety once again filling her fragile form, she took deep short breaths until she felt her mind calming down a bit.

The phone rang a couple of times and just as she was about to hang up, a voice finally answered on the other line.

"Yes?"

Hearing the soft, gentle voice on the other line alone made Rouge breathe a sigh of relief. It's been a while since she had heard such voice and hearing it once again made her forget the chaotic dissonance of emotions within her.

"Mom, it's me, Rouge" she almost choked on her response, a couple of tears finally fell from her stubborn lids, pouring out of her, unable to bear her desperate attempts of concealing them any longer.

Rouge had always been the type who never shows her weaknesses to anyone, not even her husband. But there were times when she had to break that stone wall of pride once in a while, just to set her piling emotions free. Whenever she felt the need to vent, she always turns to her mother for comfort.

Rouge and her mother rarely see each other ever since she decided to move out to seek adventures on her own when she turned eighteen. Besides Shadow, her mother was the closest one she could trust with all her heart, someone she knew who wouldn't turn against her, even if the world does. Both mother and daughter share the strange obsession on shiny objects especially jewels, both almost share the same genetic makeup except for the eyes for Rouge got her teal ones from her father. But Rouge never got the chance to spend her time growing up with her father for he had passed away when she was still a child.

The cause of her father's death was never really revealed by her mother, all she knew was that her father had gone to a better place.

Growing up without a father made her feel different from most mobian girls who both had parents growing up. Seeing girls spending time with their fathers made her feel empty and somehow jealous. She later on felt a subconscious need to seek that missing affection within her life. As she grew, she felt an inner desire to find that perfect someone who would fill that gap for her and that's the time that she met Shadow. He may not be her father nor someone that resembled him, but somehow, he had filled the gap that she had sought for so long.

Her mother was her friend and her mentor, the person she had looked up to despite not having a father figure within their family. She had taught Rouge the ways of living, the people to watch out for, and the people she should trust. It was her blessing that made the younger ivory bat tough as a rock on the outside but sweet as honey on the inside.

"Oh darling, it's been a while since you called. I missed you so much." said her mother on the other line, her voice alone reflected how happy she was to hear her daughter's voice once again. "How are you, dear?" she added.

Rouge was left in search for words, she didn't quite understood how she's feeling at the moment. She stared blankly at an empty corner as though something had caught her attention all of a sudden.

"Dear?" her mother spoke again that it gave her a small jolt back to reality.

"Oh me, I…I'm f-fine. Just a little distracted" she stuttered, her emotions whirling around in different directions made her feel nauseous. Her body sought for comfort and went to sit on the couch once again, feeling the soft futon molding against her form.

"Is something wrong? You know you can't fool your own mother" she heard her mother chuckled in amusement.

'Was I _**that**_ predictable?' she wondered, scooting a bit to find a comfortable position on the couch that she sat on.

"Fine, you got me" she heaved an exasperated sigh, partially annoyed at how her mother had accurately read her mind despite living a few blocks away from where she was.

She paused, organizing her thoughts for a few seconds, then she finally decided to break her bulletproof vest of secrecy.

"I…made an appointment to see a doctor today" Rouge replied, her voice filled with uneasiness in them

"What? What for? Are you alright?"

Her tone changed from amusement to apprehension as she frantically assessed her daughter's condition. Hearing her mother's almost incoherent rambling only made her condition worse.

"Mom!" she raised her voice, calling her anxious mother's attention

"Sorry dear, you got me so worried" she heard her mother took a deep breath to calm herself "Why would you go to the doctor?" she asked again in a much calmer tone.

"Actually, Shadow insisted that I should go" Rouge felt her anxious mind starting to calm down as she slowly lets her guard down "Lately, I'm not feeling…like myself…I think there's something wrong with me" she rubbed her temple with her free hand.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't get any paperwork done in a day, I can't sleep at night like I used to and I can't keep up with Shadow in the field anymore. I feel so useless…" she stood up and walked towards the kitchen to grab a tub of vanilla flavored ice cream in the freezer.

"Oh honey, don't feel bad about yourself" her mom reassured, attempting to comfort her.

"I don't know...Somehow, I can't help but feel that I'm just a burden to him. I mean, look at me, I'm just sitting here eating all of the ice cream in the fridge like there's no tomorrow while he's out there protecting the world. How can I call myself an agent when I can't even perform simple tasks without my body giving up on me?" she said as she took a spoon on the kitchen drawer then walking back towards the living room to sit on the couch.

A burst of giggles and laughter filled her ears that made her squint in response

"Mom, I'm not kidding!" she exclaimed

"How many tubs of ice cream did you eat? I thought you're protecting your figure, dear" her mother chuckled, imagining the tubs of ice cream her daughter had been indulging.

"It doesn't matter. Eating ice cream feels…comforting, that's all" she replied, feeling a bit upset at her mother's childish remarks.

Rouge had been very conscious about her figure and her mother knew it very well. However, for an unknown reason, something about that ice cold sweet cream had made her tastebuds go wild all of a sudden. She couldn't stop craving for it.

"Besides, Shadow wouldn't mind…he never really likes these things much as I do" Rouge opened the ice cream tub's lid and turned on the television.

"By the way, speaking of your charming husband, it's been almost a year now, how are you two getting along?" her mother abruptly changed the subject that almost made her spit the ice cream she was eating.

"We're getting along just fine, great even. He can be a jerk sometimes, still a little broody on some occasions but he's…" she sighed as she remembered his captivating crimson eyes and his conceited gaze "…irresistible and dreamy…" her voice trailed when she realized that she still has her mother on the other line. "Anyway, it's not him mom, it's me…I think my condition might affect our relationship and—"

"If that's the case then there's nothing to worry about, dear" her mother prompted happily that made Rouge wonder what made her think in such a way.

"What? I'm not saying I have a problem with our marriage, I'm talking about my condition! And why do you sound so…relieved?" she wondered, digging the spoon into the tub of the vanilla ice cream she held, breaking the smooth surface and finally shoving it into her mouth, enjoying the taste of the cold, sweet cream melting inside her mouth.

"I don't want to jump into any conclusions yet, my dear, but all I'm going to say is…I think you're going to be just fine" she heard her mother giggling again at the statement that made her raise an eyebrow.

"But mom, I—"

"You're just going through something, darling, and I think it's not that serious. My advice is to stop worrying too much and don't miss your appointment. I know everything will be okay, if not, I want you to visit here so we could talk more"

Rouge's eyes widened at her mother's optimism, she didn't quite understood what her mother was implying but a part of her seem to agree with her despite of her inner thoughts conflicting with her decision.

"Okay, thank you mom. I needed the talk"

"No problem, dear. And tell Shadow I said 'hello'"

"I will" were her only words before she hang up.

Time flew by like birds that soared above the skies as Rouge was left with her thoughts once again while she mindlessly dug into the ice cream tub she held, not paying much attention to the television in front of her.

'_Maybe mom was right…maybe I'm just worrying too much'_ she took another scoop and was surprised when her eyes turned to the tub, it was already empty.

'_That was quick…Stress would definitely ruin my figure if I don't stop now'_

Seeing another tub of ice cream perish from her constant binging, she set the tub aside along with the other empty ice cream tubs that she had eaten a few hours ago and held her knees close to her as her eyes fleeted to the wall clock. She still had an hour before her scheduled appointment time so she decided to focus her attention towards the television screen, it was the reality show that she and Shadow watch during weekends.

'_If only Shadow were here…I get to listen to him rant endlessly about how ridiculous reality shows are becoming' _

She chuckled at the thought, she never really thought Shadow would be the type who would just sit back and watch something he despises but watch it nevertheless to point out how much he hates it.

All of a sudden, she felt a sudden strange wave of nausea stirring in her stomach. She placed both of her hands over her mouth in an attempt to control it.

'_Ah shoot! What's going on now?'_ she thought, her eyes wandered frantically and the first thing that caught her attention was the kitchen sink. She immediately rushed towards it and started throwing up everything she ate.

'_I think I ate too much…'_ she thought, rubbing her stomach while the other hand grabbed the handle of the faucet, letting the water run.

'Maybe a quick shower could make me feel better'

* * *

Meanwhile, at the GUN Headquarters.

"I want you to look at these files and tell me what you think." the gruff voice of the commander echoed through the briefing room as he threw a thick case folder on one of the tables of the room for the ebony hedgehog to see. No one was there except the two of them which roused the hedgehog's suspicions since GUN assignments usually require a group of agents participating in it.

From that he definitely knew that the commander had something else under his sleeve and he's using the hedgehog's assets once again, as a last resort to ensure a hundred percent success of the mission at hand.

Shadow eyed the folder thoroughly. Whenever the commander calls them for a mission, they were often given case folders to scan the contents of their mission beforehand, however, the folder he received was different from what they were usually given. It had no GUN insignia imprinted on it.

'Strange…I haven't seen this case folder before' he thought as he gently opened the folder to scan its content and was bewildered at the sight.

Pictures of deceased mobians and humans flooded each page that was sealed within the case folder. Some missing a body part, several were skinned alive, some bathed in their own blood, a few had crushed skulls, others had faces that were no longer recognizable due to the amount of trauma it suffered.

'What the hell?! Why was the commander showing me this?'

Shadow froze at the sight as he felt all of his blood drained from his body, his mouth gaped in shock. All his life, he had never seen such brutal deaths similar to what he was presented with. He admitted that he had killed a lot in the past, but never has he resorted into torturing his victims in very inhumane ways.

He briefly took his eyes away from the folder and took a deep breath

The commander noticed the hedgehog's reaction and was intrigued

"Is everything alright, agent?" the commander spoke, still maintaining the stern look on his face

Shadow gently shook his head and faced the commander with a deadpan look on his face

"Everything is fine, sir" he quickly answered in a desperate attempt to control his inner turmoil.

'_I must stay focused…I can't lose it again!'_ he thought, discreetly yelling at himself for losing his composure at the revolting images of dead bodies.

"Take all the time you need"

With that, Shadow skimmed on those horrid images once again. He looked at every page, scanning each detail of every file as though in search of something valuable. He knew he would find something, something that would definitely answer the reason why the commander had requested his presence.

The moment he reached the last entry of the file, he knew that he had found what he was looking for.

'_This is so damn horrible'_

"Commander, as I scanned these case files, I noticed something that piqued my interest" Shadow turned the page to the first file and compared it with the last file "Merely looking through these photos alone made me think that all were just murdered in gruesome, inhumane ways and nothing else, however, when I scanned each of these files, I noticed that there's something in common among these victims"

The commander raised a brow at Shadow's statement, intrigued with the agent's conclusion

"Enlighten me, agent"

"Starting from page one until the last page of the case files, I noticed a recurring autopsy report that revealed an evidence of repeated needle punctures on the victims' limbs which would suggest that all of the victims might be heavily infused with drugs prior to being brutally murdered." Shadow scowled at the case files before him.

The commander had blank expression written all over his face, his eyes narrowed at the hedgehog before him and before Shadow could interrupt the deafening silence, he was surprised when the commander began to clap his hands.

"Brilliant! Just as I was expecting from one of our top agents"

Pleased with the hedgehog's assessment, the commander's once dim expression brimmed with radiance. He then walked towards his desk and pressed a button on his intercom.

"Proceed to the briefing room" the commander spoke on the intercom as he faced the hedgehog

"Permission to speak, commander"

"Granted"

"I noticed that the content of the folder doesn't fall in any of the departments under GUN, sir" Shadow's curiosity heightened, wondering what the commander had in mind.

The commander was about to speak when a knock on the door was heard from outside the briefing room

"You may enter" called the commander

As the door opened, a man of average stature with buzz cut hair and deep set of brown eyes wearing a white button-up collar shirt and blue pants entered the room accompanied by a male mobian grey wolf wearing a black turtle neck shirt and brown pants.

"Agent Shadow, I want you to meet the head of the United Federation Criminal Investigation Team, Special Agent Wills and field agent Ashton the Wolf.

Shadow had a quizzical look drawn all over his face upon meeting the two agents the commander mentioned. His eyes then shot back at commander who silently wore his conceited gaze.

'_A Criminal Investigation Team?'_ Shadow couldn't believe what he just heard _'what the hell is he up to?'_

* * *

**_Author's notes:_**

_**Jaganshing:** And here's the third chapter. My friend and I had a theory about Rouge's family. We think that Rouge grew up without a father-figure in her family and that her mother had raised her alone. According to studies, most girls who never had a father figure tend to grow up promiscuous. So we think that explains Rouge's flirty behavior. But it's just a theory. ^^ Once again, thank you so much for those who tuned in and for those who gave a wonderful feedback! :D You guys rock!_


	4. The Cold Case

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, SEGA does. This fanfiction is made as a request from a friend. I still had other pending stories but I'll update them as soon as I can. This is my first time writing a story related to the Sonic Universe. Hope you like it. Rated M for scenes not suitable for young readers.**

The two agents stood in a state of awe as their gaze met with the Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow's reputation of saving the world along with the legendary blue blur was well known all over Mobius. Being in the hedgehog's presence alone made them swell with pride for having the chance to meet him personally.

"So this is _**the**_ Shadow the Hedgehog. It's an honor to finally meet you face to face" said the Special Agent named Wills. "I've heard a lot of good things about you"

Shadow just stared at the two, not a single word came out of him. He took the time to study the two agents before him, watching their every move, mannerisms, behaviors, anything that may pose a threat.

His eyes went towards the Special Agent. Unlike the commander, the man had a soft look on his face despite of his deep set of brown eyes. From the way he spoke, the hedgehog could easily tell that the man was gifted with the charisma that agents must possess in order to retrieve evidence. Shadow couldn't help but notice the smell of cigarettes that lingered in his clothing which made him assume that the man just had a "cigarette break" before being summoned into the briefing room. Judging from his attire, the hedgehog could tell that the man was mainly doing work in the office instead of working on the field.

His eyes then went to the Grey mobian wolf. The wolf had a cheerful expression drawn all over his face that didn't match the intimidating field agent attire that he wore. Among his features, his cerulean eyes stood out the most. Studying the wolf's mannerisms further, the hedgehog noticed that the wolf tends to fidget a lot from the way he constantly moves his feet as if the stable ground was shaking below him. He could easily tell that the wolf is still a rookie and a bit gullible that it reminded him of a certain silver furred hedgehog he knew.

'_A walking ashtray with a silver tongue and a free-spirited rookie…not much of a threat'_ he thought, unable to find anything suspicious nor threatening from the two agents.

The grey mobian wolf walked a little closer and stretched out a hand towards the hedgehog

"Pleasure to meet you, Agent Shadow the hedgehog. I'm Ashton the Wolf" said the wolf, bursting with energy. The hedgehog slightly flinched in response at the wolf's cheerful behavior, thinking twice whether to return the handshake or not but chose to do the latter, leaving the wolf hanging in the air.

The wolf slowly drew his hand back and gave out a chuckle

"My apologies sir, I just got a little…carried away"

Shadow just glared in response that made the wolf walk back a few steps away while chuckling nervously.

"Agent Shadow, the case folder that I have given you a while ago belong to the United Federation Criminal Investigation or UFCI. It is a government agency similar to GUN but with different obligations. While GUN serves as a military law enforcement organization, UFCI serves as a federal criminal investigative organization" clarified the commander in response to their interrupted conversation when the two agents entered the room.

'_I knew it! So that's why I've never seen that case folder before'_

"Agent Wills will explain the rest. To tell you the truth, I was impressed with how you were able to make an almost accurate assessment of the case files. Most agents would just look through the photos and not make anything out of it" the commander took the thick case folder and handed it to Agent Wills

"Really? That's amazing…" said the wolf, his mouth gaping in surprise

Shadow ignored the compliments directed at him and just stood with a blank expression in his face

"Exactly what was that folder about?" Shadow wondered

"The folder you've just seen is a 3 year old case that remained unsolved and recently became an active case due to new leads. Three years ago, the current suspect is nicknamed 'The Sandman' due to a speculation that anesthetic drugs were infused to the victims first, making them fall asleep and helpless enough to fight back, then the killer proceeds to murder them brutally" Agent Wills spoke as he held the folder

'_I was right…drugs were involved…this is one fucked-up case' _Shadow felt uneasy just thinking about the brutal murders.

"Then several victims were found dead just weeks ago with excessive needle punctures, bearing a strange similarity to the 'Sandman killings' before which led us to conclude that it might be the same suspect we're after" Wills continued.

"Interesting…" Shadow muttered to himself "So, how would I be of assistance, Agent Wills?" he asked

"Agent Shadow, I'm sure the commander has informed you about an agent that became a casualty of a friendly fire" Wills added

"Yes sir, but the information was vague. If you would clarify more, I'd appreciate it" the hedgehog crossed his arms, curiosity beamed within his eyes.

"Well, that agent was one of our outstanding special agents. Sadly, he's in a critical condition and won't be returning for a while. His name is Agent Gunther. Keen, has a strong sense of justice and a good leader. He's been in the investigation team for more than 10 years. However, due to some unwanted circumstances, a co-agent in pursuit of a target lost his composure and accidentally fired his gun in Agent Gunther's direction, hitting a vital organ in the process"

Shadow listened intently like he usually would, constructing the information in his mind piece by piece, reviving the incident and watching it like a film in an absence of a sound.

"With that special agent down, we are unable to proceed with the investigation and that is why we asked the commander for assistance to send us an agent capable enough to be a temporary replacement for our fallen member."

"A proxy" Shadow pointed out

"Precisely" responded Wills

"But, why me?"

"The commander spoke of your capabilities in high regard, Agent. Not to mention, your easy adaptability and willingness to accomplish a task on hand. Such skills are a valuable asset to our team"

Still, the hedgehog was still befuddled as to why would a mere case be of such value that GUN would be willing to assist in it.

'_Why would GUN had anything to do with it?'_

Shadow raised his brows, his eyes glancing towards the commander.

"I see, but why would a criminal investigation group have anything to do with a military organization? As far as I know, GUN is responsible for global threats such as alien invasions and terrorism. Commander, I'm afraid I couldn't grasp the point." Shadow remarked, facing the commander with doubtful eyes.

"Given the possible downfall of our economy in the future and the decreasing moral standards of our society, I wouldn't be surprised if people would resort to criminal activity. However, the "person of interest" was rumored to be discreetly running a black market in the outskirts of Central City besides brutally murdering innocent lives. Drug, organ and human trafficking to be precise. To top it all that, some evidences have pointed out that the culprit might also be using some victims as 'guinea pigs' for his or her own twisted experiments." the commander's expression darkened, his jaws tightening out of rage "…to answer your question, I don't want any more abominations threatening this already wretched world…"

Shadow couldn't believe what he was hearing. For once, he and the commander had agreed into something. The thought of innocent lives perishing while monsters take over the world blew a fuse in him. Sometimes, he couldn't even tell anymore who the monster is and who the man is from what the world has become.

"If that's the case, then I'm willing to be a part of this investigation" the hedgehog gave a barely visible smile to the two agents before him, letting them know that they had garnered his trust.

"Thank you, Agent Shadow, we are grateful for your assistance" Agent Wills walked towards the hedgehog and offered a handshake of which the hedgehog returned it with no hesitation that made the wolf's eyes bulge out of his sockets at the sudden change of Shadow's behavior, wondering why the hedgehog refused to shake his hand a while ago. "And thank you Commander Tower for the assistance" the agent then shook hands with the commander.

Shadow pondered at the decision he made.

'_New organization and more exposure to field work…that means less time at home…less time with Rouge'_

Working for GUN had already took most of the time of his personal life. His temporary position in UFCI is nothing different and he didn't find the transition quite pleasing at the moment.

Then the thought of a foreseeable outcome stroke him.

'_Dead bodies and monsters, I could tolerate, but I couldn't even imagine what kind of abominations would come out from those experiments…if it succeeded'_

His thoughts were soon interrupted when Ashton, the mobian wolf, put a hand on the hedgehog's shoulder.

"I guess this means we're going to be team mates now" he said in a grin but the hedgehog shot a glare at him , something about the young wolf's cheerful vibe had bothered him for an unknown reason. He was later on surprised that the wolf didn't falter this time upon meeting his threatening gaze.

'_Tch, so I'm with this Rookie?_' he felt like he world was punishing him once again for having the wolf as a team mate. _'God help me…'_

Just as the hedgehog was starting to get annoyed, Agent Wills gestured Ashton that it's time for them to leave.

"We'll discuss the case further in our headquarters, Meet us in the lobby when you're good to go, Agent Shadow" said Agent Wills as he and Ashton walked out of the room.

Shadow and the commander were left alone in the briefing room once again. Shadow was plagued with thoughts on how much his life would change once he's working under UFCI, then the thought about Rouge's condition began to pester him.

The commander was about to leave when the hedgehog called his attention.

"Commander, a word?" he asked

"Yes, what is it?" the commander halted, his brows furrowing a bit

"Regarding Agent Rouge…"

"Any marriage-related concerns won't be entertained"

The commander was aware of the relationship between his two top agents. At first, he was against it thinking that it would affect their efficiency on the field. Later on, he realized that he was wrong with his assumptions for the two had always remained consistent with their current ranks, much to his surprise.

Shadow crossed his arms in annoyance, he didn't find any amusement on the commander's display of his sense of humor

"Far from it sir. I humbly request that she would not be assigned in any GUN assignments for a while." Shadow said seriously.

The commander's eyes shot wide in bewilderment, putting a flaw in his calm demeanor and disciplined stance.

"And why is that?" he asked, gazing at the hedgehog in confusion

"She's demonstrating extreme physical exhaustion for the past few weeks and sending her in such a state would be a great risk not only for her but for the mission itself. I believe a few days of rest would suffice. I would also be willing to do her paperwork as well"

Shadow didn't think twice, he knew he had to bargain with the commander to lay Rouge off from work, even if she had to kill him with a hatchet for doing it behind her back. The commander stopped to think for a moment, Rouge was one of his valuable agents and without her doing any assignments and Shadow working temporarily for UFCI, he would have to postpone a couple of pending tasks, more paperwork would pile on his desk.

"You DO realize that without Agent Rouge on duty the—"

Shadow cut him off before he could even finish his sentence

"With all due respect Commander" said Shadow gritting his teeth "If you don't start thinking about the well-being of your agents, there's no doubt that you'll lose them one day." The hedgehog calmly retorted and yet his eyes shone like sharpened daggers.

Shadow never really cared whether he insulted the commander from his choice of words or not, he spoke his mind and that's all that mattered.

Something about the hedgehog's protest made the commander realize that unlike Shadow, Rouge was just an ordinary Mobian and putting her into so much stress could also affect the efficiency of the mission. Finally, he made his decision despite his inner dilemma.

"Very well then, and let me tell you that you just dug your own grave"

Shadow just smirked at the remark, the commander had known Rouge for a very long time and has already anticipated her possible reaction towards the hedgehog's request.

* * *

The sound of rushing water that continuously flowed from the shower felt soothing in the ivory bat's ears as she allowed her form to be drenched on those warm droplets, relaxing her once stiff muscles, feeling nothing but the warmth wrapped her in a gentle embrace.

The water ran down on her back, feeling those gentle strokes calming her nerves. Her head started to clear, the nauseating feeling dispersed along with the cold that used to linger on her skin.

'Nothing beats a nice warm shower' she thought, feeling her worries leaving away from her, mingling with the water that streamed down the drain.

She grabbed a bottle of body soap, poured a generous amount on her hand and lathered herself with it starting from her stiff shoulders, going down to her legs. As she continued to clean herself, she reflected the conversation she had with her mother, how she told her that there's nothing to worry about.

Her mind denied what her mother said after having a few episodes of vomiting just a few minutes ago and was left to worry once again. 'What if she's wrong?' she thought, her head tilted towards the nozzle, her eyes closed, allowing the water to rinse all of the soap suds that enveloped her form.

Her thoughts then wandered off to Shadow, wondering what the commander had in mind for sending him on a mission in such short notice, and worse, during their rest day. Being affiliated with GUN has added a couple of constraints in their relationship such as not being able to spend time like normal couples do. But the two had always found time for themselves and making the most of it as much as they could.

'An alien hybrid for a husband who's working for the government…and I'm expecting to live a normal life?' she chuckled at the thought. Her relationship with her GUN partner had made her life like a challenging race, and knowing her, she would never turn down a challenge.

Feeling already clean, she shut off the water and pulled down the towel hanging on the rack to dry herself then she walked towards the bedroom.

Rouge took out a simple, light blue one piece dress with a V-shaped neck line from the closet and decided to wear it instead of her usual skin tight suit with a heart plate on the chest.

'I guess this will do…'

After fixing her hair and applying a light make-up on, she made her way to Central City Hospital.

* * *

Afternoon had passed and the sun no longer shone bright, giving the ground a touch of its golden rays. A pink female hedgehog wearing a crimson dress and a blue male hedgehog walked happily with intertwined hands across the city park as they enjoyed the calm breeze that gently swayed the trees.

"I told you a walk in the park is relaxing" said the pink hedgehog happily, looking at the taller blue hedgehog beside her

"Well, walking isn't really my style" said the blue hedgehog, wearing his conceited grin.

"AND you agreed to take a walk with me anyway" she smiled that made the blue hedgehog blush in response

"Well…" he scratched his head, trying to make up an excuse "I…just thought it's a good idea to….enjoy the park. I can barely see it when I run and-" he was cut off when the pink hedgehog gave him a quick peck on the cheek that made his muzzles blushing a brighter red.

"Right…" she muttered, turning her gaze towards him, raising a brow.

As they walked further into the park, they saw a crowd not far from where they stood, gathering over something just below a tree stump.

"What's going on over there?" the pink hedgehog spoke as she leaned over to take a peak

"I don't know, let's check it out" were the blue hedgehog's words before he carried the pink hedgehog in his arms and sped towards the crowd.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Jaganshing: **Chapter 4 done. How was it? :) Ashton the Wolf belongs to my friend who requested this story and I might do a fanart of him soon in deviantart. Special Agent Wills and Gunther are characters we made up for the plot and as for the Sandman Killer, my cousin gave the nickname. Once again, I really appreciate the wonderful feedback from you guys! You rock! :D Stay tuned.


	5. Vantage Point

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, SEGA does. This fanfiction is made as a request from a friend. I still had other pending stories but I'll update them as soon as I can. This is my first time writing a story related to the Sonic Universe. Hope you like it. Rated M for scenes not suitable for young readers.**

The ebony hedgehog sat in boredom at the backseat of a black Chevrolet Caprice vehicle. One hand pressed to his face with his elbow rested against the edge of the inner car door while the other hand held his phone, texting a message and sending it to Rouge then his eyes once again gazed outside of the car window.

"There's a 10-37 on Radical Highway"

"We got some sort of problem in Route 101. 11-96 in progress"

His brows furrowing every now and then as he listened to the endless radio transmissions of other agents muttering codes and locations from all over the city that he barely understood coupled with the two agents that he's going to work with who seem to enjoy a little casual conversation here and there.

'_I should've just rode my bike…' _

"So Shadow, could you tell us more about yourself?" Agent Wills spoke, both hands gripping the steering wheel, his eyes not leaving the road. "Of course, we have seen your GUN profile from Commander Tower and we all know that you saved Mobius once from the black aliens but we want to know who _you_ are behind the rank."

The hedgehog scowled as he was once again included in their little chat circle.

Shadow wasn't really the talkative type, in fact, he'll try to avoid a conversation as much as he could and would only submit to it whenever he finds the topic at hand resourceful or necessary. Besides despising the thought of socializing with anyone, he never really liked it when people peer into his personal life.

"Yeah, a little self-introduction won't hurt" Ashton grinned

With no other choice left, he tried to conceal his irritation with a blank expression on his face and answered their queries.

"I'm the Ultimate Lifeform" he said straight that provoked laughter from the two. Shadow scowled, hating the fact that the two mistook his statement as a joke.

"Well, we already know that too, Agent Shadow. How about something different like your hobbies, favorite television show or something like that." Ashton was the first to comment at the broody hedgehog's remark.

"Is this some kind of a survey you conduct on every agent you meet?" the hedgehog asked, irritation could be hinted in his voice yet the two seem unaware or not minding it one bit.

"No, just getting to know people. It's one of the most important qualities when working for a criminal investigation team. Not only that, talking with people can lessen your stress level too, you know?" added Ashton

'_More like increasing my stress levels'_ Shadow thought

"Well said, Junior" added Wills as he chuckled.

Shadow's expression remained unchanged, still uninterested being involved in a conversation.

"Okay, let's change the question" said the wolf, clearing his throat "What's your favorite movie?"

"None" the hedgehog bluntly replied

"Favorite dish?"

"No preference"

"Hmm…Do you drink?"

"Yes"

"What's your favorite drink?"

"Whiskey"

"Strong. Don't you get nasty hangovers after that?"

"No"

"Why?"

"Because I'm the Ultimate Lifeform"

The wolf's hopeful expression of initiating a proper conversation with Shadow gradually turned into a disappointed one seeing that the silent hedgehog purposely ends the conversation with dead end answers.

"There must be some way to make you talk more…" said the wolf that made Shadow roll his eyes

"What's your opinion about underage drinking?"

"Illegal…"

Ashton heaved a heavy sigh "Wow, this is harder than I thought"

The hedgehog smirked, seeing the look of defeat evident on the wolf's eyes

Shadow saw the wolf getting a bit frustrated on making him talk more and was left in silence as though trying to think of his next query. All of a sudden, Agent Wills faced him with a serious look.

"Agent Shadow, this has been a constant topic in the HQ and I want to know your opinion"

The hedgehog leaned in out of curiosity, thinking that Agent Wills might open a much more interesting conversation rather than being asked with nonsensical questions that target his personal life.

'_Finally, it's about time he interrupted'_

"How do Mobians dance the horizontal tango?" Wills' question made the dark hedgehog's eyes widened in surprise. He was quite disappointed that it did not meet his expectations.

'_I stand corrected…'_

Shadow froze for a moment. Working with other agents in GUN that are mostly of the male gender, it was a common experience to overhear topics about doing the deed once in a while and he didn't find the subject appealing. Mostly, he would isolate himself from the group or just shrug the matter aside whenever he encountered it. Although he was familiar with the horizontal tango and everything involved in it, it never crossed his mind to think about it every now and then.

"Horizontal tango? I never heard of that before, sir" Ashton wondered, oblivious with his official's remark

"Just an old _dance routine_ that is strictly _prohibited_ to be displayed in public due to strict social norms. Sorry Junior, I can't explain further, you'll figure it out soon enough" Wills had a sly look on his face

Ashton just pouted in disappointment

'_The hell?!'_ Shadow felt like smacking himself 'Is he out of his mind asking me that?'

"Come on, Agent Shadow. I'm quite sure you're _experienced_ enough judging from that ring on your finger."

The hedgehog briefly looked at his left hand with a wedding band in it. Normally, he wears it with his gloves when off-duty. During assignments, he wears his ring inside his glove for a couple of reasons: To avoid losing it during a fight and to avoid letting his enemies know that he's married and has a wife that they could use to exploit his weakness. This time, the urgency of his current assignment made him realize his little mistake.

'_Damn it, it must have slipped my mind because of that urgent call' _

He quickly removed his ring and his white glove and wore the ring in his bare finger before concealing it once again with the glove.

"Don't say you don't know what I'm talking about" Wills raised his eyebrow at the hedgehog then returned to the road.

Ashton just scratched his head, still clueless of where the conversation was going.

"I _**know**_ what that is and I'm _**not**_ going to answer that. In addition to that, a ring doesn't garner experience!" Shadow spat back in annoyance, he almost felt his ears letting out the steam that's already filling inside his head. _'Is Tower punishing me by teaming me up with these two?'_ he gritted his teeth

Agent Wills began to laugh hysterically, much to the hedgehog's surprise

"Relax, Agent. I'm just messing with you. It's not a serious query so don't bother answering it. I'm just saving Junior from his humiliation" Wills continued, amusement filled his voice.

Shadow stared away, concealing the crimson tint that's starting to become evident from his muzzle.

Ashton gave Agent Wills a huge grin "Nice one sir, you made Agent Shadow blurt out more than two words!"

"He'll be talking in no time…I hope"

Shadow just growled in response and stared at the car window with a frown.

'_This is going to be a long day…'_

Then all of a sudden, the radio from the vehicle crackled once again.

"Control here. Unit 1, what's your 20?"

Wills pressed a button and spoke over the radio

"Within the vicinity of Central City"

"We've got a 10-45 somewhere near Central City Park. Going to need a forensic team and an ambulance"

"Copy control, going to send my boys in the field, myself included. ETA five minutes" he responded in a brisk manner.

"10-4"

With that, Wills turned to look at both of his mobian team mates.

"Did you hear that, boys? Let's skip the trip to HQ. We've got some work to do"

* * *

The Central City Park is well known for its beauty and peaceful ambiance. It's one of the reasons why most people and children spend their time there playing, stretching their legs and merely enjoying the sight of nature.

But that same reputation didn't last long when a burst of angry shouts and sorrowful mourning filled the place.

"You monster!" one of the people yelled

"No, I would never hurt Susan!" another spat back

A couple of voices yelling hysterically were heard while the others whispered to one another. Some could be seen pulling out their mobile phones calling somebody while others are just taking photos.

"This is terrible…" another one spoke in a trembling voice

The blue hedgehog and the pink hedgehog finally arrived at the scene, both attempting to get through the group of people and mobians gathering around until they found the most gruesome sight of their entire life.

A blood stained brown furred mobian cat sat on the ground trembling in fright as he held the body of a yellow furred female mobian cat on the muddy grounds. Her blood painted the trees and leaves that surround her. Taking a closer look, the blue hedgehog noticed that the dead mobian's eyes were gouged out and her entrails were left to scatter all over the ground as though it was dug out from her body. Her clothes torn into shreds while the rest of her body was covered in deep cuts and bruises.

"You'll be safe now, my love…safe from that bastard…" chanted the brown cat as he gently cradled his dead lover on his arms, tears streamed endlessly from his eyes, mixing with the blood and mud that surround them.

The two hedgehogs were startled at the sight like they've just seen the most twisted horror film in their entire life, this time, they're part of the cast.

'Who in their right mind would do such a thing?'

Sonic, the blue hedgehog that is known as the legendary blue blur, the hero that once saved Mobius along with his rival and friend, Shadow the hedgehog. He was often referred to as "the fastest thing alive" by most. However, for once, the world's fastest hedgehog felt his feet glued on the ground, feeling his body stiffened that he couldn't move a single muscle.

"S-Sonic…" the pink hedgehog tried to find her voice as her hand gripped tighter on the blue hedgehog's arm, she could feel her own blood drying from the sight, getting paler the longer she stared.

Along his side is his fiancée, Amy Rose, the pink hedgehog that once chased him around when she first laid her eyes on him. At first, Sonic was reluctant to accept her feelings because of her childish behavior and her tendency to become aggressive towards him. As she got older, she had gotten more mature and got fed up with childishly chasing the blue hedgehog around by which in turn, made him fall for her and ended up returning her feelings. He had always known how tough Amy was on the inside and out, but the sight before them is something that he didn't want her to remember for the rest of her life.

"Don't look, Amy" said Sonic as he shields Amy's eyes with his hand while his eyes stared away, repelled by the sight.

"He's a murderer!" another one shouted in an angry dispute

"I am not a murderer!" the male cat responded, burying his face on his lover's neck to grieve once more "…I'm innocent…I would never…do this to her" he murmured.

"We'll let the cops figure that out" one of the people said as they attempted to drag the sobbing cat away, pulling him from the body he held, but was only met with hysterical screams of agony.

"No, please! Let me go! Susan! Susan!" the cat yelled, trying to break from the grasp of his captor "I'll tell you everything, just leave me with Susan!"

He finally broke free and went back to the dead mobian once again, holding her body possessively.

"Sonic, should we interfere? Something feels wrong…" Amy whispered and looked at the blue hedgehog's emerald eyes.

He didn't respond.

The sound of the people around him became inaudible. For a moment, it felt like he was inside a black and white film, everything felt so unreal that he couldn't figure out whether he's still asleep in his bed dreaming, or not.

Until a gunshot woke him up from his senses

He looked around and saw that the hysterical mobian cat was now sprawled on the ground along with his dead lover with a bullet on his head that made the people back away in fright while the others crouched on the ground.

Then he felt a spine chilling feeling on his back as if someone was watching them from a distance. He quickly pushed Amy to the ground and looked around him, ignoring the panicking crowd. He tried looking for its source, his eyes wandered around his surroundings. Taking a closer look into the woods, he noticed a silhouette of a figure dressed in dark clothing staring at the dead cat's direction with a gun on its hand. A barely visible face could be seen from the hooded jacket that sealed its face yet he couldn't tell whether it was an overlander or a mobian.

"Sonic!" Amy's voice rang to his ears

He quickly shot a glance at her but was only met with a worried look on her face

"What's going on?" Amy asked

Still, he didn't respond. Instead, his eyes went back to where he had spotted the mysterious figure once again, convincing himself that he was just seeing things, and was surprised when the mysterious figure was already gone.

"Stay here. I'll be right back" he said without looking at her. He sat upright to survey the scene, his eyes glared at the direction from where the mysterious figure once stood then to the panicking people then to the two dead bodies before them.

Using his gifted speed, he ran towards the place where the mysterious figure stood just moments ago and was surprised when he saw something on the ground.

It was an empty 10ml hypodermic syringe with its plunger already pushed down.

'What's this thing doing here?' he thought, picking it up and examining it.

His ears twitched when he heard a couple of leaves rustling. He quickly shot a glance at the source of the sound but found nothing.

He shrugged and gazed back at the syringe until he received a hard blow on his head, sending him falling to the ground. The blue hedgehog quickly stood and regained his composure and searched for his mysterious attacker but was once again sent to the ground with another hard blow.

Sonic attempted to stand but was harshly kicked on the ground and was straddled by a figure garbed in dark clothing. The figure harshly grabbed the azure hedgehog's neck, strangling him, squeezing all of the air from his body.

Sonic attempted to identify his attacker but failed to do so due to its dark hood concealing its face.

The figure then pulled out a syringe with a clear liquid in it and aimed for the hedgehog's arm but Sonic immediately stopped it with his free hand while his other hand tried to pry off the attacker's hand from squeezing his neck.

The figure continued to push through the hedgehog's resistance, pushing all of its weight on its hand to pierce the hedgehog's skin with the needle. Just as it was about to reach the blue hedgehog's arm, the sound of multiple sirens distracted the attacker, much to Sonic's surprise.

The unknown figure ceased its assault on the blue hedgehog and temporarily lost its balance, releasing the hedgehog from its grip and dropping the syringe in the process. As the sound of the sirens became louder, the more agitated the figure became. Its body shook violently while its hand gripped tightly on its head, letting out a powerful anguish shriek as though repelled by the noise then before the azure hedgehog could even move, the figure ran and disappeared from the shadows.

The hedgehog laid on the ground, hungrily breathing for air with one hand rubbing against his aching head.

'_It's probably going to bruise there…but what was that all about?'_ he thought, his eyes lazily looked around until he saw the syringe that the attacker was holding on the ground, untouched.

Remembering that he left Amy, he quickly stood and picked up the syringe and returned to her side.

The moment he returned, he received another hard smack on the head.

"Ow!" he yelled

'_That's three in a row'_

Looking up, his gaze met the eyes of an enraged pink hedgehog.

"That hurt a lot, Amy!" the blue hedgehog's rage kicked in, startling Amy

"That's what you get for making me worry. Where in the world have you been?!" she angrily retorted

"I'm sorry for leaving…it's just…" Sonic took a deep breath to regain his tranquility when he felt his body trembling from his previous attack

"Sonic, you look terrible. Are you alright?" Amy's tone softened as she gently touched Sonic's face. It was unusual for her to see the once cheerful and free-spirited Sonic act different.

She was about to say something but was taken aback when she noticed Sonic holding something

"W-what's that you're holding?" her eyes widened at the sight

"I was attacked" he said calmly "And it was trying to inject me with this" he showed her the syringe which made her gasp in surprise

"But why? What could be in that thing?" Amy wondered, staring thoroughly at the clear liquid inside it

"Most probably a tranquilizer" Both hedgehogs looked behind them and was bewildered to see a familiar face

"Shadow?!" both of them exclaimed seeing the crimson and black hedgehog with his arms crossed facing them with a neutral expression.

"It's been a while…Faker, Rose"

* * *

"Please come back tomorrow for the results, Ms. Rouge" one of the nurses in Central Hospital said as they gave the ivory bat a receipt to claim the test results on the following day.

Rouge nodded in reply and made her way out of the Hospital with a worried look on her face.

'_Tomorrow? It's going to be a long day' _she sighed in defeat, feeling her agony only being prolonged.

Seeing the sun almost setting and feeling already exhausted, she decided to go straight home instead of doing her usual routine when going out during a weekend like paying a visit to some friends or just walking around a mall to alleviate stress.

'_I wonder if Shadow's already home'_

She took out her phone to check for some messages

One came from Shadow

'How are you feeling? Be honest'

She smiled and sent a message back

'I'm fine hon, just came from Central City Hospital. On my way home.'

Looking through her other messages, she was surprised when she saw a message from GUN.

'Agent Rouge, we would like to inform you that your GUN assignment for tomorrow has been cancelled. Have a nice day"

The white bat became infuriated after reading the message.

Normally, GUN wouldn't just cancel an assignment without a valid reason. Seeing a discrepancy from the message, she could only conclude one thing: Shadow had something to do with it.

'_That sneaky hedgehog…I'm going to give him a piece of my mind when he gets home' _

She put her phone in her pocket and continued to walk briskly.

Walking a bit further, her ears picked up a sobbing noise. Being a mobian bat, she was gifted with excellent hearing and could detect the slightest noise no matter how sneaky her target may be.

Looking behind her, she saw a brown little mobian cat dressed in a blue jumpsuit carrying a stuffed animal with swollen eyes as tears seem to have endlessly fell from them.

Seeing the situation far from a threat, Rouge sighed in relief and bent down to meet the child's gaze

"Hi sweetie, are you lost?" she asked but was left in shock when her eyes met the child's jumpsuit, it was stained with fresh blood.

* * *

**Author's notes:**

**Jaganshing:** It's April Fools Day! :) I've been rick rolled for like twice already and believe me, I'm starting to hate the internet. haha! Just kidding, I love the internet. So here's chapter 5. Wills' question about the horizontal tango was just a gag my friend inserted to make it sound like Wills is trolling and also fitting for an April Fool's day. lol. Thank you for the follows and for the reviews! :D


	6. Unexpected Reunion

**Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, SEGA does. This fanfiction is made as a request from a friend. I still had other pending stories but I'll update them as soon as I can. This is my first time writing a story related to the Sonic Universe. Hope you like it. Rated M for scenes not suitable for young readers.**

A yellow tape barricaded the grounds of the crime scene preventing outsiders from entering the grounds. Groups of forensic specialists, field agents, police officers and paramedics flood the scene of the crime gathering and preserving evidence while interrogating witnesses.

It was a chaotic sight for a mere passerby but for them, it was just another day's work.

In an area not far from the scene, three hedgehogs faced each other as if they haven't seen each other for a very long time. Although it's only been a few months since the two rivals last saw each other, it felt as if they haven't seen each other for years.

The blue hedgehog's brow twitched after the word 'faker' escaped from the black hedgehog's mouth

"Nice to see you too, Shadow" Sonic replied sarcastically at the ebony hedgehog while wearing his conceited grin.

Shadow and Sonic had always been rivals. Each proving to one another who's better and who's the fake. But deep down, the two had a degree of respect for one another, even if they don't admit it.

Shadow smirked in response "How does it feel like going on a date in a middle of a crime scene?" sarcasm not leaving his voice.

"What can I say? It adds a little thrill. You should try it sometimes" the blue hedgehog responded in a playful manner, trying to play his rival's game.

"I'll keep that in mind" Shadow chuckled at his rival's words

"By the way, you and Rouge have been married for some time now. Are we expecting to hear any pitter-patter of tiny feet soon?" Sonic tried to stifle a chuckle, unaware that he's pulling the dark hedgehog's nerves.

"No" Shadow said straight without any second thoughts.

Even if he's content being with Rouge, he couldn't help but still feel a strange gap within their life, like something was still missing.

Most would say that having children would complete a family. Shadow wasn't against the idea of starting a family with Rouge, however, the thought of having children of their own was often brushed-off from his mind due to the fact that he's uncertain whether it was biologically possible for an artificial hedgehog such as him to produce an offspring with an ordinary mobian. He had often voiced such concerns to her, convincing her that being with him won't make her life complete, but the ivory bat was determined to accept that kind of fate as long as they have each other. She had told him many times that she wouldn't mind at all and would still be willing to remain by his side. But deep down, he knew well enough that she had been hoping for the chance to bear his children. He wanted to give her that chance, even if it would take a lifetime to achieve it.

"Why not? I'm sure Rouge wouldn't mind having little versions of you or her running around" Sonic snickered at the thought

Shadow wore his usual scowl "Your point?" he was getting annoyed with all of the blue hedgehog's queries.

"Well, just letting you know that Amy and I could do the babysitting, in case they pop up" Sonic beamed.

The dark hedgehog rewarded the azure hedgehog with a piercing glare

"Out of the question, faker" Shadow's voice was calm but agitation could be hinted in it "To tell you frankly, I'm doubting your capabilities of child-rearing…No offense, Rose" his eyes briefly went to the pink hedgehog.

"None taken" Amy replied while crossing her arms "I have the same feeling as well" she glared at the blue hedgehog "That's why Sonic and I are going to need some _serious _advice from you and Rouge if the time comes" sarcasm filled her voice.

"Indeed you do" was the dark hedgehog's words

"Hey, it's not like that. You know, married couples turn to tend out….I mean tend to out turn…out to turn tend…Oh, what the heck…why can't I get it right?" Sonic attempted to justify his side coupled with an outburst of Freudian slips that only fixed Shadow's glare to never leave his face, making the blue hedgehog jitter in response.

"Save it! Honestly, I'm surprised how people could tolerate your level of stupidity" the dark hedgehog interrupted, unable to bear Sonic's attempts of clarifying his point any longer.

"Chill out, Shad. You don't have to be mad about it" the azure hedgehog reasoned, trying to soften the mood of his short tempered rival

Amy nudged Sonic's shoulder but was only returned with laughter

"Don't ever call me 'Shad', you moron!" Shadow seethed

"Rouge calls you that and you don't seem to have a problem with it" Sonic grinned

"Don't bring her into this, faker" the dark hedgehog was starting to lose his temper

"Cranky hog" Sonic spat back

"Idiot"

"Grumpy"

"Alright girls, stop it, you're both pretty!" Amy interrupted "Sonic, it's not nice to meddle with other people's affairs"

Then she pointed her finger at Shadow "And you, name-calling and insults won't solve anything. I thought being married with Rouge would change you. Well, you haven't changed at all, Shadow" Amy's eyebrow rose to meet her bangs, slightly annoyed at the black hedgehog for insulting and addressing her fiancé other than his name. Amy may be in good terms with Shadow but there were times when she finds his behavior unbearable.

Like two little boys reprimanded by their mother, both male hedgehogs ceased arguing.

Seeing the silence between the two, the pink hedgehog smiled in satisfaction. When all of a sudden, the dark hedgehog and the azure hedgehog began to chuckle, much to her surprise.

"What are you two chuckling about now?" she asked, glaring at the two

"Just like the old days" Sonic then began to burst out laughing yet the dark hedgehog just chuckled, keeping his composure like he usually would and restrained the urge to mimic his rival.

"So, still living up to that 'fastest thing alive' title or are your knees starting to give up on you?" Shadow smirked at his rival

"Let's have a race sometimes and find out yourself" Sonic added

"You're on" Shadow's smirk widened

"Men…" Amy huffed and crossed her arms

Then her eyes shifted from side to side as though looking for something beside the dark hedgehog

"Anyway, what brings you here? And I couldn't help but notice that Rouge isn't with you" Amy wondered "Don't tell me you left her at home so you could brood by yourself"

Amy and Rouge had a friendly relationship and had grown to respect one another despite being rivals before. The two often got each other's backs and would sometimes spend time together whenever they have the chance. Sometimes, it bothered them how the rivalry between their men still haven't changed for the past few years.

"Cut him some slack, Amy. The guy needs some time to be alone, too." Sonic interrupted, somehow, empathizing with his dark rival.

"And there are times when us girls just want to feel pampered and wanted too, you know" the pink hedgehog had a dreamy look on her eyes

The azure hedgehog raised a brow "You've been watching too many chick flicks…"

Shadow had a quizzical look and yet somehow, he finds the pink hedgehog's words actually making sense.

"Rouge is at home and I'm on an assignment" Shadow answered

"But it's a weekend, right?" Amy retorted in disbelief

"Not when you're assigned to work with a criminal investigation team" Shadow's eyes moved to the direction where the grey wolf and his official stood.

"Wow, you're working as a crime scene agent now?" the blue hedgehog wondered

"Working WITH, to be precise" Shadow corrected then his eyes went to the syringe the blue hedgehog was holding "Anyway, enough with the nonsense chitchat, tell me, what made you possess such valuable evidence?"

"Valuable evidence, huh?" Sonic rubbed his head with his free hand as he recapitulated the incident, still feeling the blunt pain on his head after being hit thrice, the last one coming from Amy.

"Well, _Inspector_ Shadow" Sonic mocked that made Shadow roll his eyes in irritation "You see those dead bodies over there? That brown cat was holding that female cat's body and was screaming his heart out a few minutes ago until somebody fired a gun from the woods" Sonic pointed towards the direction where he ran in pursuit of the culprit.

Shadow just listened intently, gathering the information he needs while Amy felt her heart pounding on her chest, afraid of what Sonic might tell next.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be writing this down in a notepad or something like they do in the movies?" Sonic interrupted but was met with an angry scowl from the dark hedgehog.

"Really, Sonic?" Amy heaved a sigh of exasperation

"I don't have time for your moronic outbursts, faker" Shadow had a hint of impatience in his voice, much to the azure hedgehog's surprise.

"I was just kidding. All this serious talk is unsettling. Anyway, I attempted to follow the assailant but was led to a trap" Sonic frowned at the thought "That mystery guy or whoever that is tackled me to the ground, grabbed my neck and was desperately trying to inject me with this" he raised the syringe in front of the dark hedgehog.

"How did this 'assailant' look like?" Shadow pressed further for information

Sonic scratched his head trying to create a clear image of the perpetrator in his mind

"All I could remember is the guy wore dark clothes and a hooded jacket, the rest was all a blur, though" Sonic recalled

'_Typical'_

"Go on" the dark hedgehog urged

"Then as sirens started to come into the scene, the guy got a little distracted, screaming its head off like it was going to explode, and next thing I know, he dropped the syringe and I was left on the ground hungry for air"

'_And the blue hedgehog made it out alive because of that little distraction? Interesting' _

Shadow concealed his bewilderment under his neutral gaze, something about the blue hedgehog's story piqued his interest.

"…I didn't know…" Amy sadly faced the azure hedgehog "I'm so sorry for hitting you earlier"

"It's alright Ames" said Sonic, putting an arm around her shoulder

The dark hedgehog crossed his arms with one hand under his chin

"I'm surprised you're still on your feet, blue hedgehog. Not a lot possessed that kind of luck" said Shadow as he recalled the fate of the victims that fell on the hands of their current suspect.

"What are you talking about?" the azure hedgehog felt confusion haunting him

"Since as of now, I believe no victims have ever made it alive to tell the tale of their encounter with the sick bastard except you…" Shadow's voice trailed while his eyes stared into space, his upper lip slightly curled in disgust as the images of the dead humans and mobians plagued his mind once again.

As if he were suddenly teleported in another dimension, he found himself staring over some pile of dead bodies while his feet sunk into the pool of blood.

'_W-what is this?'_

His body trembled and yet the horrible sight held him captive, he felt himself unable to move.

Then all of a sudden, he heard a voice calling out to him.

"Faker, are you still with us?"

Shadow snapped back to reality upon hearing his rival's voice. The dark hedgehog fleetingly stared away and shook his head, attempting to remove the images from his mind. For some reason, that gruesome sight seem to haunt his mind from time to time as though calling out to him, pleading him to find them the justice they deserved.

Feeling the images leaving him completely, he spoke "I'm…fine. It's nothing" and acted like nothing has happened. His gaze then went back to the azure hedgehog

"Going back to the subject…take a close look at that syringe you're holding" Shadow emphasized

Sonic gazed intently at the object "To tell you the truth, I see nothing but clear liquid"

Shadow felt the urge of hitting himself and yet restrained it

"Wait, you said before that it might be a tranquilizer, correct?" Amy voiced out

"That's right, but it's merely based on assumption. Until it is confirmed in the lab, we won't know" the dark hedgehog replied bluntly

"I thought this thing is supposed to make you sleep, not kill you" the blue hedgehog implied

"Let me see that" Shadow snatched the syringe from Sonic's grip and studied it thoroughly, looking through the calibrations as he spoke.

"It's not the tranquilizer itself. It's what happens after you are sedated. The team I'm affiliated with is in pursuit of a suspect that sedates its victims first before murdering them."

"What?! That's crazy!" Sonic clenched his fists, imagining the victims that fall prey to the said murderer.

"Exactly. To sum it up, this syringe isn't empty, which is why you're still alive. If its content ever made its way into your bloodstream during that assault, there's no doubt that there would be three dead bodies in this area and one of them would have been yours"

Sonic felt his legs wobbling at the thought and yet relieved at the same time for surviving the previous attack.

"Whoa, slow down there Shadow, you're scaring me" Sonic felt uneasy at the ebony hedgehog's statement

"Now that's a rude way to deliver it" Amy flared, displeased with Shadow's choice of words

"What are you expecting? That I add something along to make it seem more pleasant? We're dealing with a twisted psycho here. I don't care how rude I made it sound, that is the awful truth, so deal with it" Shadow made himself clear, disregarding what his friends may think.

Sonic and Amy were left speechless

Shadow took their silence as a sign that the two either grasped the situation or were still too shocked to accept the awful reality that they're currently facing.

"Agent Shadow!" a voice from a distance called out the dark hedgehog's name. "We need your opinion on this one!"

Shadow just nodded in reply towards the direction of the voice and faced the two hedgehogs once again.

"Just a word of advice" Shadow walked a few steps towards the azure hedgehog "Keep your eyes peeled…That atrocious son of a bitch might be lurking everywhere and it might come back to _finish the job_" he lowered his voice down so only the two of them could hear "Don't let your guard down, blue hedgehog"

"Noted" was Sonic's only reply before the dark hedgehog left to attend his team, leaving the two behind.

The azure hedgehog had a faraway look as Shadow's warning played in his mind multiple times. He felt the curiosity to know about his mysterious attacker growing stronger than before.

He was at loss, for once he had felt himself thinking of countless ways on how to escape from the reality that he couldn't accept.

Then he felt something warm brushing against his hand.

"Sonic, it will be fine" the pink hedgehog whispered

It was Amy's hand finding its way into his' as though telling him that she would be there for him to give him the strength to face that reality he feared.

"We'll get through this…" she added

Returning back to his own world, the azure hedgehog's gaze went to the pink hedgehog and nodded in reply but unbeknownst to the pink hedgehog, Sonic still contemplated on the whereabouts of the said murderer.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

**Jaganshing: Chapter 6 up :) Once again, I waited to get in touch with my friend to get this done. So, Amy here isn't that love-struck, Sonic-chasing fan girl anymore because she got older in this story. 'Amy watching a chick-flick' reference actually came from a Sonic Boom episode. Once again, thank you for the faves and reviews! :) (Just let me know if any of them become way out of character and I'll quickly remedy it)**


	7. In the Eyes of a Serial Killer

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, SEGA does. This fanfiction is made as a request from a friend. I still had other pending stories but I'll update them as soon as I can. This is my first time writing a story related to the Sonic Universe. Hope you like it. Rated M for scenes not suitable for young readers.**

_**(Warning: This chapter contains rape and graphic content that might be disturbing to some readers. Read at your own risk)**_

Shadow walked towards his team while his eyes continued to gaze intently at the syringe. Wondering to himself how exploiting a victim's vulnerability would count as a way in satisfying a twisted fantasy of spilling another's blood. He had seen death in the battlefield for all the years he have been serving for GUN. He had grown accustomed to it, but the current case he was assigned to work on makes his stomach cringe for a reason he couldn't comprehend.

The hedgehog began to question the murderer's motives

'_Was it anger, a lust for power, a desperate need for attention, the mere satisfaction of death itself or perhaps…revenge?'_

A vivid memory provided him few answers, a memory of his past.

Tracing back a few years ago, back when Maria was killed, vengeance gave him the satisfaction to eliminate humanity in the absence of guilt, was he any different from the culprit he's after?

'_The pot calling a kettle black. Could this be one of the reasons why fate…involved me in this case?'_

"Agent Shadow, did you find anything?" Ashton's voice interrupted his trail of thought

The dark hedgehog turned his head towards the wolf and showed him the syringe he held.

"W-what the?!" Ashton's eyes widened "Is that-"before he could finish, the hedgehog quickly interrupted him.

"Evidence. Seal this in a bag, kid" Shadow said straight as he handed the syringe to the wolf

Ashton froze at the sight

"Where did you get this, sir?" curiosity filled the wolf

"The witness I spoke to attempted to follow the suspect into the woods and picked up an evidence along the way"

Ashton whistled, impressed at the witness the hedgehog was talking about "Damn, that witness had guts"

"And he's the blue blur himself" Shadow plainly stated

"The Blue blur? Sonic the hedgehog?!" the wolf's eyes widened in bewilderment as his eyes shifted from side to side, hoping to catch a glimpse of the said blue hedgehog but didn't find any trace of him.

"Who else? He was here the moment we arrived. Must've sped off somewhere now" the dark hedgehog didn't find any enthusiasm of his rival's whereabouts.

"Ah, blast it! I've always wanted to meet the legendary blue blur" Ashton gave out a laugh but the only response he got from the hedgehog was a look of indifference.

"Just seal it in a bag and get back into sniffing for clues or whatever it is that you're doing" the hedgehog impatiently blurted out.

The wolf obeyed and immediately took out a plastic evidence collection bag to put the syringe in.

Shadow took a few steps further towards the grounds where Agent Wills stood.

"There you are, Agent Shadow" said Wills, turning to face the hedgehog "The police identified the victims as Terrence and Susan the Cat. Husband and Wife. Terrence worked as a security guard in a museum in Westopolis while Susan worked as a nurse in Central City Hospital. Reports suggest that Susan was last seen leaving for work the night before she was discovered dead at this very spot."

'_She must have been dragged towards the park…it __**is**__ only a ten minute walk from the hospital'_

"The bodies were already examined and photographed by some of our field agents, so the only thing that's left for now is to find a couple more evidence around the area. But I want you to take a look at this" Wills continued.

The dark hedgehog felt himself petrified at the sight of two dead bodies before him.

"I guess a predator decided to hunt last night. It won't be long before we have the culprit behind bars" Wills took out a cigarette box from his pocket and pulled one cigarette stick out with his teeth and brought a lighter up to the tip.

The hedgehog got intrigued.

"Sir, could this be linked with the Sandman murders?" Shadow asked

"Well, one of the victims did have needle punctures…Lots and lots of needle punctures, but without further evidence, it's still questionable. Right now, we could only base our investigations through assumptions until the autopsy and lab works confirm it"

Wills pulled out the stick from his mouth and blew out some smoke that gathered. The smell of burning nicotine lingered on the hedgehog's nose, he didn't like it but he didn't hate it either.

"Do you smoke, agent?" he asked, offering a cigarette stick to the hedgehog

Smoking a cigarette isn't new to the hedgehog. Being the Ultimate Life form, even large amounts of nicotine nor alcohol have no adverse effect on his health. It's one of his assets that he sometimes takes advantage of whenever stress overpowers him. In solitude, the hedgehog would sometimes puff on a cigar as a means of 'blowing the stress away' or sometimes would be seen holding a bottle of whiskey to 'drink his worries away'.

This time, stress had indeed overtook the hedgehog.

'_I need it'_

The hedgehog took the stick from his superior's hand without hesitation, put it in his mouth then grabbed a lighter in his pocket to light the tip.

Wills had a look of amusement written all over his face "I guess that's a yes, then" he laughed

Shadow inhaled deeply, allowing the heavenly smoke to fill his lungs, feeling his mind clearing, it was refreshing.

"You seem stressed, agent" Wills noticed the hedgehog's fascination with the dangerous little stick.

Shadow didn't answer, instead, he just exhaled and admired the escaping smoke that he had gathered

'_That felt good'_ he felt stress leaving him

Wills then focused his eyes once again to the two dead mobians.

"So, looking at the bodies, how do you think our suspect executed the kill, agent?"

Returning from his brief euphoric state, Shadow analyzed the bodies before him while rolling his cigar in between his fingers. He noticed something thought-provoking. Each victim was killed in different ways. One had a bullet on his head, the other had her eyes gouged out and her entrails were left to scatter on the ground.

He recalled what the blue hedgehog had told him earlier

'_That brown cat was holding that female cat's body and was screaming his heart out a few minutes ago'_

"According to a witness, the male cat went ballistic when he saw the female cat's body" Shadow started, trying to keep himself collected as much as possible despite feeling uneasy at the sight of the dead mobians.

'_Until somebody fired a gun from the woods'_

"Then somebody from the woods shot him. I have a feeling that male cat knew something that the murderer intends to hide"

'_Then as sirens started to come into the scene, the guy got a little distracted, screaming its head off like it was going to explode'_

"…or simply just repelled from the noise the cat was making" Shadow muttered.

Wills had a promising look on his face.

Shadow then walked a couple of steps around the dead bodies, looking around for possible clues

'_How bizarre. No sign of footprints. What a cunning bastard…'_

He then went to get a closer look at the female cat's corpse.

"The female cat…" Shadow continued. He curled his lip in disgust, his fist clenching at the thought. "If this were the Sandman killer's doing, there's no doubt that he injected her with a tranquilizer." He saw the deep cuts and wounds on the body "And judging from those wounds, I could tell that she succumbed into her injuries. Possibly raped as well because of her torn clothes and the marks of injury on her breasts and thighs."

The hedgehog missed the impressed look the superior agent was giving him as he remained in a trance with his investigation.

"Interesting thought there, agent."

"It was just a plain assumption, sir" the hedgehog humbly responded.

"You're learning" Wills grinned.

A field agent wearing the same uniform as the grey wolf approached the two, interrupting their conversation.

"Sir, we have gathered all the necessary evidence, should we pack up and go?"

An idea suddenly stroke Wills' mind

"Give us a few minutes"

"Affirmative"

Wills' eyes then went to the hedgehog

"You have potential, Agent Shadow. Come on, I'll teach you a few things in assessing a crime scene" Wills spoke which made the hedgehog flinch

"But, why sir?" Shadow felt himself choking at the sound of it.

"You had it in you, Agent. It just needs a few 'polishing'" Wills extinguished his cigarette with the sole of his foot and walked closer towards the two dead mobians, the hedgehog did the same and reluctantly followed afterwards.

"First of all, you have to survey the scene, make sure it's safe, a hazardous area isn't worth checking out if you're just going to get yourself killed."

The hedgehog's ears perked up, finding an interest in his superior's instructions. Solving crime wasn't really the line of the hedgehog's work but more on base infiltration and locating chaos emeralds for GUN.

Being introduced into a new field made the hedgehog feel challenged, and he had never turned down one.

"Assuming the area is safe, proceed to check the area surrounding the dead victims. Keep in mind that every crime scene is tri-dimensional, which means looking up also counts. Pay close attention to everything, is there an evidence of struggling? Was the murder weapon nearby? Are footprints present? Look at the victim's clothing, note for any discrepancy between the folds or rolls. To put it simply, paint an accurate detail of the scene inside your mind and look for trails the suspect may have left"

The agent stood just beside the dead mobian's body and noticed the sign of uneasiness from the hedgehog and decided to probe into it "Haven't seen dead bodies like these up-close before?"

"I took down enemies by shooting their heads during GUN assignments, sir, the male cat's body isn't an atypical sight. The female one, however…" Shadow crossed his arms and stared into space, preventing another horrid image to retain in his mind.

"Makes you feel violated in some way, doesn't it?"

The hedgehog just nodded in reply.

He had respect for the female gender. Seeing a woman's body violated in front of him might be one of the reasons why he couldn't get those images out of his head.

"You're not alone, agent." Wills sighed "Okay, so we are now in close proximity to the body." he gestured the hedgehog to approach closer "A golden rule in every investigation, we must always preserve evidence. That means, only minimal contact is allowed and moving the body is off-limits unless you're finish documenting everything first. It's a bit tricky, but you'll get the hang of it. After all, Commander Tower said you're a fast-learner"

The hedgehog just blinked, disregarding the compliment.

"Look at all the blood" Wills pointed at the blood surrounding the victim "It's present in large volumes so it's important to see if it flowed down as gravity does. If you noticed something odd, there's a possibility that the body may have been moved. In this case, yes, there's a possibility that it has been moved."

Wills crouched just beside the head of the dead female mobian cat

"Now, human anatomy and mobian anatomy are almost similar. So a body assessment in this scene is also the same for humans. It's preferable to follow the 'Cephalocaudal Assessment' or the head-to-toe pattern. So we start from the head until we reach the feet. While assessing the body, it is important to look for superficial injuries such as abrasions, punctures, penetrations, burns, or lacerations."

Shadow crouched just beside Wills and allowed his hesitant eyes to finally face its fears

"Agent, let's try to examine the victim for any type of injury and recreate the scene on how the victim acquired such injury"

The hedgehog nodded and examined the body for injuries starting from the female cat's head. He noticed dark purple marks on her forehead and a huge one behind her head.

"Bruises on her head…blunt trauma most likely?" Shadow indicated

"Most likely, yes. And take note of this as well, there are bruises on the victim's head but none on her face and muzzle. What's your impression, agent?" Wills pointed out.

"The suspect must have hit the victim several times with either his fists or a blunt object in an attempt to knock her out" the hedgehog explained which earned a nod from the superior agent.

Shadow tried to picture the scenario in his head, he saw the female cat struggling as a dark shadowy figure punches her in the head a couple of times. He found it horrid but it didn't halt him in focusing on the investigation.

Then he noticed pieces of cloth barely covering the victim's body. He saw the figure in his head ripping the female cat's garment off.

"Shreds of torn clothes hang loosely on the victim's bare form" the hedgehog voiced out "So the suspect might be aggressively undressing her or she was struggling too much"

"Precisely" Wills responded "You're getting a hang of this, agent"

Wills then focused on her gouged out eyes.

"Look at her eyes. Gouging somebody's eyes is often used for self-defense. But our suspect most probably used this tactic to compromise his victim"

A vision of the figure using its thumb to gouge out the cat's eyes flashed before the hedgehog's eyes. Shadow winced at his thoughts and felt every nerve of his body being pulled, he didn't expect someone could be capable in performing such a vile act, especially to a woman.

"Let's move to the arms" Wills tilted his head to see underneath the forearms, he noticed deep cuts and bruises.

"Deep cuts on the arms and forearms especially close to the areas where the pulses are best felt. It's possible that the suspect intentionally chose to cut those spots for faster bleeding. The bruising, on the other hand, might be due to the victim's struggling"

Looking closer beneath the cuts on the victim's arms, Wills noticed several puncture wounds coupled with bruises surrounding it.

"Now this gets more interesting. Look at the puncture wounds present here. It looks a lot like needle stick injuries but larger. The suspect must have used a large bore needle to pierce through the victim's limbs and the bruising could indicate two things: the needle gauge was too large and that the victim may have struggled during needle insertion, thus, making the suspect withdraw from a certain area and insert to another undamaged area"

Shadow recalled Sonic's story of his encounter with the suspect, how the assailant tried to inject him with the syringe but managed to get away from it.

_'Was the suspect trying to kill him or just silencing him like he did to the male cat?' _a couple of questions disrupted him

"Take a close look at this, agent" Wills spoke, disrupting the hedgehog's thoughts

His eyes went to the victim's torso

"Scratches and abrasions on the chest and a huge vertical stab wound on the victim's abdomen. The huge cut would instantly kill the victim so it is unlikely that the suspect had stabbed her first before violating her. Intestines and a couple of visceral organs scattered on the field, perhaps some organs were stolen for organ trafficking? Autopsies would further reveal whether some organs were taken."

His eyes went down to her thighs, legs and feet.

"Shoes are missing, scratches on the thighs and legs, not much damage compared to the arms…I would assume that the victim was sexually assaulted as well but lab works would confirm whether it occurred by taking swabs on the genital area.

Shadow's breathing was shallow and rapid, he felt himself sweating profusely as his mind flashed unwanted thoughts where the figure had its tight grip on the victim, enjoying the sound of her screams as he mercilessly violates her.

'_Damn…why is this…playing in my head?'_

Wills noticed and found the hedgehog's silence peculiar.

"Was it too much information in one day?" he asked, a hint of concern is present in his voice.

"No sir…it's just the image of the incident in my mind…it's too dire" the hedgehog spoke, still partially preoccupied with his thoughts

"Well, it's like they all say, in order to solve a crime, you must think what the perpetrator thinks. My experience as a field agent before had helped me think like one and I believe it would be of great advantage. So, let's hear your thoughts, agent." Wills encouraged

Shadow's eyes widened at his superior's request and remained reluctant to share his thoughts

"Let it go, agent. Keeping it to yourself would result in nightmares" Wills insisted

'_I guess I have no choice then…'_

Shadow walked a couple of steps away from the body, took a deep breath and once again consulted with his thoughts in silence. Reconstructing the scene in his mind at the same time delving into what the criminal would have been thinking during the course of his murders. He had seen people being driven mad because of desire, but a desire of what?

Then those images appeared in his head, how each victim had certain parts of their bodies damaged to an extent that would make them more vulnerable to an attack. Seeing those horrid images gave him an insight, he knew that a suspect with a motive of compromising his victims seek only one thing: Power.

He also tried to recall everything he had read from the case file that the commander showed him before. Trying to link the current case with the 'Sandman killings'.

'_No victim would just give in to an assault unless they were threatened, tied, drugged or perhaps injured'_

"I could picture the victim in my mind getting dragged towards the forest by an unknown figure"

_**The city lights illuminated Central City like fireflies in a night sky. It was a quiet and peaceful night until a shriek of a woman disturbed the once peaceful silence. **_

_A female cat was dragged by an unknown figure dressed in black towards the forest in Central City Park._

"She was struggling and screaming, but was soon muffled by the hands of her captor"

_**The cat tried to scream but she couldn't as she attempted to fight back, using all of her strength she tried to push her captor away, elbowing him, clawing him when all of a sudden…**_

"He punched her in the head multiple times, weakening her until she fell on the ground. Seeing his victim in a vulnerable state partially satiated his cravings, so he craved for more. He straddled his victim and took out a knife, and began his torture"

_**Seeing his victim on the ground, the dark figure took out a sharp object and mercilessly swung it across her arms, each cut getting deeper as it landed on her skin. Blood squirted out as he hits every artery and vein while chuckling at the sight.**_

"Then he started to rip off her clothing, taking advantage of her vulnerability"

_**He torn her clothes apart, took in her scent and tasted her soft flesh with his tongue.**_

"But one thing ticked him off, the cat regained her strength and decided to fight back once again"

_**She tried to punch the figure off of her, using all of her remaining strength as she endured the sharp pain from all of the cuts he inflicted on her.**_

"Feeling a sense of rejection, the assailant gouged out her eyes as a form of punishment and took out a syringe to sedate her. He knew that in doing so, the tendency of rejection would be null, and he would be superior"

_**Seeing his victim now denied of her eyesight, the figure aimed the syringe at the cat's arms and successfully pierced through her skin but she tried to pull it off of her, making the figure withdraw the needle and pierced it again on a new route. Still, she didn't allow it and kept resisting until finally, the assailant was able to inject the contents of the syringe in her.**_

"The suspect succeeded in sedating her, and in a few minutes, she could feel her muscles losing its strength, her vision blurred, her breathing became shallow, but one thing's for sure, she was still conscious and she could still feel the stinging pain of her gushing wounds and the weight of her mysterious assailant"

_**The cat helplessly laid on the ground, but in her mind she continued to screamed, hoping that someone could hear her. She could feel his cold hands roaming around her naked flesh but no matter how strong she had willed her arms and limbs to move, it wouldn't. **_

_**The figure held her hips firmly and without hesitation, he viciously slammed his stiff length inside her, thrusting violently, stretching and filling her completely as he laughed at the sound of her silent screams. His victim could do nothing but allow raspy breaths to escape her as a tear fell from her eye. She felt hopeless, she felt trapped, she wanted to disappear but she couldn't. While her body endured a mixture of pain and pleasure, her mind tried to blind her with pleasant memories until she breathed her last breath.**_

"As the murderer felt the pleasure of his fantasies overwhelm him, he struck the knife into her" Shadow made a motion of stabbing with his hand "Pulling the knife downwards, feeling a sense of gratification at the sight of the ripping flesh and blood that pour from it"

As if he had melded with the mind of the criminal, the hedgehog continued to speak as though recalling a vivid memory.

"Then he dug his hands into the wound he made and pulled her entrails out…as a means of release"

Shadow suddenly felt his mind go blank as the horrid sight that lingered within his mind slowly dissipates, his knees buckled, his heart raced uncontrollably while he felt a stabbing headache, disrupting his concentration.

"Something wrong, agent?" Wills quickly went to the dark hedgehog's side and noticed his complexion "You look pale"

"I—I'm…not sure what has gotten into me, sir" he softly spoke, his head rested on the palm of his hand.

'_What made me…imagine such a thing?'_ he could feel his stomach churning at the thought.

"Perhaps you have dug in too much. But I must say, that was a brilliant analysis of what our suspect could have done"

The hedgehog found Wills' statement feasible, he did have a tendency to over-analyze things that could sometimes leave him in dire positions but during those times, Rouge had always been by his side to help him get through such obstacles.

This time, however, he had no one but himself.

The hedgehog ignored his superior's compliments and walked a couple of steps away from the bodies as he felt the aftershock of the situation slowly leave him.

He suddenly felt an urge to check his phone for any messages just to shift his attention somewhere else and was greeted by a message from Rouge.

A barely visible smile could be seen from his lips upon reading it _'I guess she took my advice after all'_

* * *

"Hey, wolf boy!" one of the agents yelled

Ashton lifted his head and turned towards the voice "Yeah?"

"Stop chasing your tail and go get more evidence collection bags!"

Ashton just sighed and walked towards the dark vehicle they rode just moments ago while carrying the evidence that the hedgehog gave him for safekeeping.

'Tch, they could just get it themselves...' he thought, frowning as he mentally complain to himself.

Ashton was often made fun by other agents because of his naivety and being the only mobian in the team before Shadow came along as a substitute.

Then a thought distracted him

_'Ashton this, Ashton that...They often make fun and order me around...Even Agent Shadow doesn't like me very much and I just met him a few hours ago' _he sadly sighed at the thought.

The wolf had always admired what the hedgehog has done but still, he couldn't understand what he's done that made the hedgehog appear hostile to him.

_'It couldn't have been my scent...Is it because of my hair? Nah, I don't think so...Maybe because I'm too...friendly? Or worse...' _he wondered.

He took the keys from his pocket and pushed a button to unlock the car doors.

Just as he was about to open the car door a voice called out to him

"Hey cutie, you seem like a nice boy. Would you be so kind to escort this child? The other cops seem busy at the moment" The wolf turned around and saw a beautiful white furred bat wearing a light blue dress that reveal her voluptuous curves together with a brown mobian cat not older than the age of five.

"I...ah...uhm..." he was at a loss for words as his face turned bright red.

* * *

**Author's notes:**

**Jaganshing: Chapter 7 is up! :D So, Shadow came up with a disturbing image of the incident. Might seem distracting and disturbing for some readers but this part needed to exist for the plot...and I want to thank the one who requested this for guiding me with the crime scene assessment. Thank you for following this story. Stay tuned.**


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